Watan-Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Sunday that he has instructed the military to take action to prevent the humanitarian ship “Madeliene” from reaching Gaza, as part of its ongoing mission—launched eight days ago—to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.
Katz declared:“I’ve ordered the army to act to stop the ‘Madeliene’ flotilla from reaching Gaza. Let me be clear to Greta Thunberg, the anti-Semite on board, and her friends: turn back, you will not reach Gaza.”
He added, according to the Hebrew-language outlet Walla, that “Israel will not allow anyone to breach the naval blockade on Gaza, which is meant, first and foremost, to prevent weapons and combat equipment from reaching Hamas.”
Israel Prepares to Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Ship Amid Global Scrutiny
The Israeli army plans to intercept the ship—which carries 12 activists—even before it enters Israeli territorial waters, according to a report in Israel Hayom on Sunday. Israeli officials noted that the presence of European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who holds diplomatic immunity, “made it difficult to act against the vessel earlier.”
In a related development, Channel 12 cited Israeli sources who estimate that the ship is currently about 250 nautical miles (460 kilometers) from Gaza’s shores. It may arrive overnight or by Monday, but officials suspect passengers might slow down the vessel in order to reach the coast during daylight—maximizing media visibility. Israel’s Shayetet 13 naval unit is reportedly tasked with intercepting the vessel, though authorities fear live global coverage of the operation could damage Israel’s international image.
From aboard the ship, activist Yasmine Akar issued an urgent call on Sunday via Instagram:“To the millions around the world who support Gaza, please pressure for our safe arrival with aid. If you don’t hear from us soon, it means we’ve been cut off.”
She confirmed that communications were already being disrupted.
Earlier in the day, the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza stated on X (formerly Twitter) that Israel is actively jamming the ship’s tracking and communications, calling the situation “dangerous.”
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