Greta Thunberg on Gaza Aid Ship as Israel Prepares Military Interception

Greta Thunberg On Gaza Aid Ship As Israel Prepares Military Interception

On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to intercept a Gaza-bound aid ship carrying none other than climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 other human rights campaigners.

The vessel, named the “Madleen”, is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and it’s currently making waves (literally) in the eastern Mediterranean—loaded with food, medical supplies, and desalination equipment. The goal? To deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gaza, which has been under a tight Israeli blockade since 2007.

But Katz isn’t having it. “I’ve instructed the IDF to stop this hate flotilla,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). “We will use all necessary measures to ensure it doesn’t reach Gaza.”

He also didn’t hold back on Greta herself. “Thunberg and her crew are not peace activists,” he claimed, accusing them of spreading “Hamas propaganda” and calling the mission “antisemitic.”

Thunberg hasn’t responded publicly yet, but the activist group behind the voyage insists their mission is strictly humanitarian.

The Madleen set sail from Sicily on June 1, according to The Guardian. It’s reportedly 160 nautical miles from Gaza and could be within Israeli interception range within 48 hours.

On board: bags of rice, infant formula, basic medical kits, prosthetic limbs, and a desalination unit. Not exactly weapons of war.

But Israel says the naval blockade is essential to stopping weapons from reaching Hamas, the militant group in control of Gaza. The government isn’t budging on that.

And there’s precedent. A previous ship, the Conscience, was disabled in May in an alleged drone strike off Malta—an attack the Freedom Flotilla blamed on Israel.

The stakes are high. And history isn’t exactly reassuring—just ask anyone who remembers the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, when 10 activists were killed during an Israeli raid. Despite that, the flotilla remains determined.

“We will not be intimidated,” organizers told AP News. “This is about delivering essential aid and drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

Israel disagrees—and it’s preparing to enforce its blockade once again. Whether that means warning shots, diversion to Ashdod Port, or full-on boarding, Katz’s message was loud and clear:

“Turn back.”