On Sunday (June 9), Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to prevent a charity vessel carrying activists — including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg — from reaching Gaza, in defiance of Israel’s naval blockade. The British-flagged yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), departed from Sicily on June 6 and is currently navigating off Egypt’s coast toward the blockaded Gaza Strip.

"I instructed the IDF to ensure that the Madleen does not reach Gaza," Katz stated, referring to Thunberg and her fellow activists as “antisemitic” and supporters of Hamas propaganda. "You’d better turn back — you will not reach Gaza," he warned. Thunberg, who joined the mission to draw attention to what she called Israel’s “illegal siege and escalating war crimes,” denied accusations of antisemitism and emphasized the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza.

The Gaza conflict intensified after Hamas’s surprise attack on southern Israel in October 2023, which left over 1,200 dead and saw 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports over 54,000 Palestinians have died during Israel’s ongoing military operations, with vast destruction across the territory. The UN has raised alarms about widespread famine risk among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

Katz defended the blockade as vital to preventing arms from reaching Hamas. “Israel will not allow the naval blockade to be broken,” he said. The Madleen is said to be carrying a small amount of aid, such as rice and baby formula. FFC spokesperson Hay Sha Wiya reported the boat was roughly 160 nautical miles (296 km) from Gaza on Sunday and acknowledged they were bracing for potential interception.

In addition to Thunberg, the crew includes 11 other members, among them French MEP Rima Hassan. Israeli media have suggested the military intends to intercept the vessel before it nears Gaza and reroute it to the Israeli port of Ashdod, after which the crew will likely be deported. This operation brings back memories of the 2010 incident when Israeli forces boarded the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of a similar flotilla, killing 10 people.