Israel vowed on Sunday to stop an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists on board from reaching Gaza.
As of Sunday evening, the UK-flagged civilian vessel was north of Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea, slowly approaching the coast of Gaza. The “Madleen” is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an organization that has campaigned against Israel’s blockade of Gaza and tried to break the siege by boat.
“We know that it’s a very risky mission and we know that previous experiences with flotillas like this have resulted in attacks, violence and even cases of death,” Thunberg told CNN on Saturday.
“But of course none of those risks are even remotely as high as the risk that Palestinians are facing everyday just by trying to survive.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated that the Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, would not make it to the besieged enclave.
“I have instructed the IDF to ensure that the ‘Madleen’ flotilla does not reach Gaza,” said Katz in a statement, referring to the name of the ship.
Katz warned the ship that “you’d better turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.”
Thunberg and the Madleen expect to reach Gaza within the next day, organizer Yasemin Acar told CNN on Saturday.
“We are still on our way to Gaza. There’s no turning back, and we’re hoping to make it into Gaza within two days,” Acar said.
The coalition campaigns to end Israel’s blockade of Gaza and has tried to reach the enclave several times in the past
After an 11-week blockade that prevented any humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, Israel has begun allowing a trickle of aid in once again.
But it is only a fraction of the aid that entered the enclave before the war, with humanitarian organizations warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis and the growing risk of widespread famine.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, said on social media that the flotilla carries more than food.
“It is not only the aid, it is the HUMANITY THEY CARRY. For all of us,” she said.
The crew, which has publicized the location of the ship with an online tracker, began preparing for the possibility of interception by the Israeli military.
Among those joining the crew are Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, and “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham.
“From both a legal and moral standpoint, Israel has no right to intercept this vessel,” the group said in a statement.
“The people of Gaza, under siege, starving, and facing the threat of annihilation, have the legal right to decide who enters their territories.”
Last month, another vessel from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition came under what its organizers said was an Israeli drone attack off the coast of Malta in international waters. The group did not provide evidence that the drone was Israeli, while the Israeli military has declined to comment on the alleged attack.
The ship, the “Conscience,” was heading to Malta, where a large contingent of activists were due to board before it departed for Gaza, more than 1,000 miles away, but had not made it into port, the group said.
The coalition told CNN that Thunberg was among those who were expected to board the vessel in Malta.
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