The IDF is poised to halt the vessel Madleen, transporting climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 pro-Palestinian activists toward Gaza, before it crosses into Israeli territorial waters. Israeli officials explained that pro-Palestinian lawmaker Rima Hassan's diplomatic status as a European Parliament member delayed any earlier action against the flotilla. Hassan tried to enter Israel several months ago but was deported when she landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport.
The activists aboard reflect a deeply radical ideology. Hassan labeled Hamas' October 7 attack as "legitimate" and dismissed reports of the Bibas family's massacre; Yasemin Acar from Germany rejoiced during Iran's missile strike on Israel and shifted protest slogans from "destroy Hamas" to "destroy Zionism"; and Thiago Ávila from Brazil, who joined mourners at Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's funeral, hailed him as a "martyr and revered leader."
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, "I have instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen flotilla does not reach Gaza. To the antisemitic Greta and her friends, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza."
This flotilla follows a failed attempt in May, when the ship Conscience was damaged near Malta. Organizers pointed to an Israeli drone attack, though Israel did not acknowledge responsibility. The IDF affirmed its readiness to ensure the current flotilla does not reach Gaza's shores.
Recently, Madleen, with Thunberg and 11 pro-Palestinian activists on board, veered off its Gaza trajectory to rescue migrants in the eastern Mediterranean after a distress signal from a boat carrying roughly 30-40 people. The activists accused Greece of drone surveillance on Israel's behalf, claiming it bolsters Israel's dominance in the eastern Mediterranean. They reported drones hovering 80 kilometers from Greece and urged supporters on social media to track the vessel live, asserting that public attention could thwart an Israeli move.
