Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday he has ordered the military to block a pro-Palestinian vessel headed for the Gaza Strip, vowing it will not be allowed to reach its destination.
The ship, named Madleen, could arrive as early as Monday unless intercepted by Israeli naval forces. Katz said the vessel will be stopped “by all necessary means,” and police indicated it would likely be redirected to the port of Ashdod if seized.
3 View gallery
The Madleen en route to Gaza carrying pro-Palestinian activists on board
(Photo: AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli Freedom Flotilla Coalition/via REUTERs)
“Israel will not permit any breach of the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas,” Katz said. Addressing climate activist Greta Thunberg and her fellow flotilla members, he added: “To Greta the antisemite and her Hamas-propagandist friends, I say clearly: turn back—you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act decisively against any attempt to break the blockade or support terrorist organizations—whether by sea, air or land.”
In response, a group of private Israeli citizens is organizing a counter-flotilla to shadow the Madleen and protest both its mission and Thunberg’s involvement. The initiative is set to depart from Ashdod and participants are funding the effort independently, each contributing roughly $80.
The counter-flotilla, spearheaded by environmental activists critical of Thunberg, is intended to serve both as a demonstration against the Gaza-bound vessel and a broader condemnation of what organizers call “climate hypocrisy” and “antisemitic double standards.”
As of now, only one yacht with a 10-person capacity is confirmed for the protest flotilla. Police have reached out to organizers to monitor the situation. The protestors say they have no intention of approaching Gaza’s shores—only of making their opposition visible.
3 View gallery
The Madleen crew (Greta Thunberg third from left) before embarking toward Gaza
(Photo: Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images)
“We’re here to expose Greta’s hypocrisy,” said Maya, one of the protest organizers, in an interview with Ynet. “As an environmentalist myself, I’ve seen the damage she’s done. Now she’s using the Gaza flotilla as a platform for her agenda. She’s not an activist—she’s a provocateur. We’re not looking for confrontation. We just want to make a statement.”
Meanwhile, activists aboard the Madleen say they are preparing for a potential confrontation with Israeli forces. Yasmine Ajar, one of the pro-Palestinian passengers, told Qatar’s Al-Araby network the vessel was approximately 160 miles from Gaza, adding, “We don’t yet know when we’ll arrive exactly.”
She condemned world governments for inaction, saying, “They should be ashamed. Arms supply to Israel must stop. Our message is simple: don’t remain silent—take action for Gaza’s people.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Ajar confirmed that the flotilla expects to be intercepted. “We’re in international waters. If Israel attacks us, it will be committing a war crime,” she claimed, alleging that three Israeli naval vessels were already en route. “We’ll see how it plays out.”
“Netanyahu should end the war on Gaza instead of focusing on us. There are 12 of us onboard, and we’re optimistic. Israel won’t stop us. We will break the blockade. We were attacked four weeks ago in international waters, and no one responded. The siege continues because the world is silent. We say: don’t worry about us—worry about the people of Gaza.”
Dr. Baptiste Andrée, another participant, told Al Jazeera: “We’ve had drones overhead for hours. We’re in contact with the French Foreign Ministry and other parties. We’re carrying a symbolic amount of medical supplies and calling for an end to the siege.”
Thunberg, in a voice note to The Sunday Times, said: “I would say it’s fairly calm, but high spirits.” The activists plan to livestream any encounter with Israeli forces. “We are very happy to be actually going, to be sailing,” she said. Thunberg and the 11 other participants departed from Sicily on June 1.
Flotilla organizer Huwaida Arraf told Al-Araby that Israel is actively jamming communications. “We’re in touch with the crew,” she said, “but we expect further disruptions and possibly a direct attack.”