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Israel bars ship with activist Greta Thunberg on board from reaching Gaza — paper

According to the report, Defense Minister Israel Katz is expected to make more decisions on the subject on Thursday

TEL AVIV, June 5. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has decided to prevent the Madleen aid ship with 12 pro-Palestinian activists on board, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, from reaching the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The newspaper wrote, citing a senior Israeli defense official, that the ship "will be prohibited from entering or docking in the Gaza Strip." The Madleen is expected to arrive in the Eastern Mediterranean within a week.

According to the report, Defense Minister Israel Katz "is expected to make more decisions [on the subject] on Thursday."

Israel’s state-run broadcaster Kan said Israel initially considered allowing the Madleen to arrive in Gaza, but later reversed its decision. The port authority in Jerusalem says that in this case, the activists would have become stranded in the Palestinian enclave. In order to avoid setting a precedent that could undermine Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip, the military decided not to allow the vessel to approach its coast.

The Madleen, which is part of the Freedom Flotilla coalition, set sail from Sicily on June 1, carrying humanitarian assistance for the Gaza Strip. Its cargo includes baby food, diapers, flour, rice, water filters, hygiene items, and medical equipment, The Jerusalem Post said.

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