Israel says it will stop Greta Thunberg aid ship from breaking Gaza naval blockade

Israel said it would stop a ship piloted by pro-Palestinian activists, including Greta Thunberg, from breaking its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Thunberg is one of 12 activists, including a minister of the European Parliament, aboard the Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which departed from a port in Sicily last Sunday. The activists are aiming to break the Israeli naval blockade, which Jerusalem said is necessary to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas, which rules the enclave. In a Sunday Telegram post, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he had instructed the IDF to “take any means necessary” to stop the Madleen from reaching Gaza.