Thunberg heads for Gaza: IDF prepares to intercept Gaza-bound Flotilla
The IDF says all activists on board will be arrested and deported once the ship is secured
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A ship known as the Freedom Flotilla, carrying 12 pro-Palestinian activists including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan, is on course to reach the coast of Gaza on Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced it will intercept the vessel and prevent it from docking, redirecting it instead to the port of Ashdod.
"The State of Israel will not allow anyone to violate the naval blockade on Gaza – the purpose of which is first and foremost to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization that holds our hostages and commits war crimes," said Defense Minister Israel Katz.
"To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza," Katz said. "Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations – at sea, in the air and on land."
The activists, who come from the UK, France, Sweden, and other countries, plan to broadcast their expected arrest live in what they say is an effort to spotlight the situation in Gaza and “break the silence in the face of genocide.”
Actor Liam Cunningham, known from Game of Thrones, is also reportedly aboard.
The ship, named Madleen, is the latest attempt by international activists to break the Israeli maritime blockade on Gaza. Hassan, who previously referred to Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel as “legitimate,” posted on X that the IDF plans to deploy missile boats and elite Shayetet 13 naval commandos to stop the ship.
Following an airstrike on a previous flotilla near Malta six weeks ago, organizers say they have now enlisted the help of a Greek drone and maritime surveillance to document this journey.
Greta Thunberg told The Sunday Times the crew is in “high spirits” and ready to face the risks. “The real danger is staying silent,” she said.
The IDF says all activists on board will be arrested and deported once the ship is secured.