The Israeli government said Sunday that the aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists will not be allowed to reach the Gaza Strip, warning the protesters to “turn back.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered his troops to maintain Israel’s naval blockade over the Palestinian enclave, which has remained in effect to prevent Hamas from importing weapons.
“To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists — I will say this clearly: You should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza,” Katz warned.
“Israel will act decisively against any attempt to break the blockade or support terrorist organizations, whether by sea, air or land,” he added.
Thunberg, the Swedish climate campaigner, is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen vessel heading for Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to the Strip’s refugee population.
Israel’s blockade has remained in place since Hamas seized power over the Gaza Strip in 2007.
The UN reports a growing humanitarian crisis and risk of famine to Gaza’s nearly 2 million refugees — prompting international outrage and the Madleen’s voyage.
The ship departed Sicily last week to raise awareness over the crisis facing Gaza, with the Jewish state repeatedly warning the activists to stay away.
The ship is expected to reach Gaza’s coast on Sunday, with Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila claiming earlier in the day that their ship had been targeted by Israeli jamming devices.
“We just received some very weird news that, according to our tracker, we are no longer 162 nautical miles from Gaza, but we are [at] Jordan airport,” Ávila said in a social media post.
“We know what that means, when they start jamming our communication and messing with our devices, it means they are preparing for an interception or an attack,” he added.
The IDF did not immediately respond to the allegations.
Along with Thunberg and Ávila, Rima Hassa, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is also aboard the Madleen.
She has been barred from entering Israel because of her stance opposing Israel’s policies towards Palestinians.
With Post wires
