Israel’s defense minister vowed to prevent aid ships carrying Greta Thunberg and other militants from reaching the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Katz said on Sunday that Israel would not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Palestinian territory, saying it was to prevent Hamas from importing weapons.
Ms Thunberg, 22, is one of 12 activists on Madleen, the campaign runs by the Freedom Flotilla Alliance.
The ship left Sicily on a mission to break the Gaza blockade and provide humanitarian assistance while raising awareness of the growing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
Activists have said they plan to arrive in Gaza’s territory on Sunday.
Rima Hassan, the French MP of the European Parliament, is the European Parliament of Palestinian descent and is also someone else. She was banned from entering Israel due to opposition to Israel’s policies against the Palestinians.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg, an activist in the alliance with the Free Fleet, left Siciliy, Sunday, June 1, 2025.
The ship is named after Gaza’s only female fisherman, which carries French-Palestine members such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and European Parliament Rima Hassan.
Ms. Dunberg decided in 2018 to skip the 15-year-old school in an attempt to convince the Swedish parliament to take more action on climate change.
Ms. Dunberg speaks on Madleen Middle Eastern Eye: “We have promised ourselves and we have committed to the Palestinian people with all our might.
“When our government failed us…and then we fell into our room and became adults.
“We are just humans, very concerned about what is going on and don’t accept what is going on.”
Israel began providing some basic aid to Gaza last month after a three-month total lockdown aimed at putting pressure on Hamas, but humanitarian workers warned of the famine unless the lockdown and the war ended.
Free Flotilla attempted last month when another ship of the group was attacked by two drones while another ship of the group attacked international waters in Malta. The team accused Israel of attacking the attack, which damaged the front of the ship.
Palestinians carry food and humanitarian aid package delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafa, Gaza Strip, southern Canada, Friday, June 6, 2025 (AP)
When Hamas launched a massive attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, decades-long conflict in Gaza intensified, killing about 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and captives of 251.
Currently, 55 hostages are still captured after the issuance of the ceasefire agreement and other arrangements, and less than half of them are believed to be alive. During the war, Israel recovered many bodies, including the most recent three, and successfully rescued eight living hostages.
During this period, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel’s military operations resulted in the deaths of more than 54,000 Palestinians.
The ministry reported that women and children constituted the majority of the death toll, but it did not specify the exact number of civilians and combatants killed. Israel claims to have cancelled more than 20,000 militants, although no evidence has been provided.
The conflict has destroyed much of Gaza, with about 90% of the population displaced. The territory’s approximately 2 million Palestinian residents are now almost entirely dependent on international aid, as almost all of Gaza’s food production capacity is prevailed.
