Israel’s defense minister vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg, “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel wouldn’t allow anyone to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms.
“I have instructed the IDF to act so that the ‘Madeleine’ flotilla does not reach Gaza,” Katz said in a statement from his office.”To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists — I will say this clearly: You should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza.”
He added: “Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations – at sea, in the air and on land.”
Salvatore Cavalli / AP
Thunberg and Cunningham are among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, on it’s way to Gaza. The coalition says they are a grassroots movement working to end Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday and the group said they planned to reach Gaza’s territorial waters as early as Sunday.
On Sunday, in a social media post, the coalition accused Israel of jamming their communication as they approached about 160 nautical miles from Gaza.
“Help us to break the siege,” the post said.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
“We have less than 24 hours left before we are illegally detained by Israeli authorities who want to prevent us from reaching the Gaza Strip,” she wrote on an X post on Sunday. “When we are no longer able to communicate with you, I’m counting on you to continue the mobilization that has been so valuable to us throughout this journey.”
After a three-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 and the war end.
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship. Israel has not commented on the attack.
Palestinians say 5 killed by Israeli fire near aid sites
The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry and witnesses say at least five people were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and U.S.-backed group Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Israel’s military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces.
Palestinian witnesses in the southern city of Khan Younis said Israeli forces had fired on them at a roundabout that is around a kilometer (half-mile) from a site run by GHF in the nearby city of Rafah.
The Israeli military said it fired warning shots at people it said were advancing toward its forces and ignored warnings to turn away. It said the shooting occurred in an area in southern Gaza that is considered an active combat zone at night.
A GHF spokesperson said there was no violence in or around its distribution sites, all three of which delivered aid on Sunday. The group had closed them temporarily last week to discuss safety measures with the Israeli military and has warned people to stay on designated access routes. The spokesperson spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images 
The hubs are set up inside Israeli military zones — where independent media have no access — and are run by GHF, a new group of mainly American contractors. Israel wants it to replace a system coordinated by the United Nations and international aid groups.
Israel and the United States accuse the militant Hamas group of stealing aid, while the U.N. denies there is any systematic diversion. The U.N. says the new system is unable to meet mounting needs and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon by determining who can receive it and forcing people to relocate to where the aid sites are positioned.
Israeli officials have said they will continue the naval blockade until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been deadlocked for months.
Hamas started the war with its massive attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 251 people hostage. Fifty-five of them are still being held, with fewer than half believed to be alive. The rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Israel has recovered dozens of bodies, including three in recent days, and rescued eight living hostages over the course of the war.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. It has said women and children make up most of the dead but it does not say how many civilians or combatants were killed. Israel says it has killed over 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.