Israel is preparing to “conquer” and “clear” everything in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to “take over” Gaza and move civilians south.
JERUSALEM – Israeli forces are boarding charitable ships trying to reach the Gaza Strip, contrary to Israeli naval blockades, the Freedom Frotira Union (FFC) said on June 9.
The Palestinian FFC-run British-style yacht Mudleen departed from Sicily on June 6 and hoped to reach Gaza later on the day the intercept took place, the group said in its telegram account. The boats are Swedish climate activist Greta Samberg and Lima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Shortly before the FFC statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a video to X, urging the Israeli Navy to communicate with Madreen via speakers and change courses.
“The marine zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to naval traffic as part of a legal naval blockade,” the soldier said. “If you want to provide humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, you can do so through the port of Ashdod (Israel).”
Along with a crew of 12 people, the yacht carried iconic shipments of humanitarian assistance, including rice and baby formulas. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a propaganda effort to prevent the madman from reaching Gaza on June 8th and to support Hamas.
Israel imposed a naval blockade on coastal enclaves after Hamas ruled Gaza in 2007.
According to Israeli tallies, the blockade remains through multiple conflicts, including the current war, which began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israeli military elections. The UN warns that most of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents face hunger.
The Israeli government says blockade is essential to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer, Yomna Ehab, and Enas Alashray, Edited by Richard Chang)
