Israel Intercepts Greta Thunberg’s Sailboat Aimed at Delivering Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

After Israel’s defense minister announced intentions to take “all necessary measures” to stop a 60-foot sailboat carrying activist Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza, Israeli commandos intercepted the vessel in international waters and convinced the crew to head to an Israeli port.

Israel Katz, a member of the Likud party and the current Minister of Defense, stated that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prevent the boat from reaching Gaza. He warned the operators, saying:

“You’d better turn back – because you will not reach Gaza,” labeling them as a “hate flotilla” of “antisemitic” activists.

Gaza has been under a strict Israeli naval blockade for nearly 20 years, aimed at preventing the smuggling of arms to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. The last attempt by a foreign vessel to breach the blockade occurred during the notorious Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, where Israeli special forces boarded the ship, resulting in the deaths of ten individuals on board.

The organizers of the current mission claim their goal is to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza residents. The territory has not received significant food imports since early March due to various border control issues. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) currently categorizes all areas of Gaza as facing a Phase 4 nutrition “emergency,” with a risk of famine.

The size of the boat suggests that the delivery is intended to be symbolic. The organizers had initially planned to use a larger vessel, but it was damaged by two unexplained explosions while anchored near Malta last month. The group alleges that Israeli drones caused the damage, but no conclusive evidence has been provided, and Israel has not accepted responsibility.

Thunberg and her co-organizers have framed the voyage as a symbolic act, stating, “We are seeing a systematic starvation of 2 million people. The world cannot be silent bystanders.“