Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that he instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prevent a high-profile activist mission sailing to Gaza from reaching the Strip.

The Madleen boat was organized by the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel Freedom Flotilla Coalition in an attempt to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Strip. Among the 12 activists on the ship are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, and Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian European Parliament member, who has been barred from entering Israel.

“I have instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen does not reach Gaza. To the antisemitic Greta and her friends, I say clearly: You should turn back, because you will not reach Gaza,” Katz said in a statement.

“The State of Israel will not allow anyone to violate the naval blockade on Gaza, the primary purpose of which is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas, a murderous terror organization that holds our hostages and commits war crimes,” he added.

The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the naval blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis 20 months into the war between Israel and the Hamas terror group.

After a two-and-a-half-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted altogether and Israel ends its military........

© The Times of Israel