Rome – Saba:
The "Madeleine" ship, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, has entered Egyptian waters on its journey to the besieged Gaza Strip, despite Israeli threats to prevent its arrival.
The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza announced the development, noting that the ship experienced Israeli enemy interference, including attempts to jam its communication and tracking signals, which the committee deemed a serious threat to the crew's safety.
The mission is characterized as an act of peaceful resistance by its nonviolence-trained volunteers.
German activist Yasemin Akar, the coalition's press coordinator, reported that the ship was 116 nautical miles from Gaza today and expects to reach waters near the Strip by Monday, barring further interference.
She emphasized that any attack on a humanitarian ship in international waters would be a flagrant violation of international law.
The Madeleine departed from Catania, Sicily, Italy, on June 1, carrying urgent humanitarian aid and 12 international activists, including renowned Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and European Parliament member of Palestinian descent Rima Hassan.
The 18-meter sailing ship is laden with vital supplies like baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, medical supplies, water desalination devices, crutches, and prosthetic limbs for children.
This symbolic effort aims to highlight the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over two million Palestinians face starvation due to the tightened Israeli blockade since October 2023.
In response, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued explicit threats, declaring that Israel "will not allow any ship to break the naval blockade on Gaza."
He stated that the Israeli Navy is preparing to intercept the ship, either by preventing its approach or by forcibly redirecting it to Ashdod port and arresting the activists. Katz directly warned Greta Thunberg and her supporters to "turn back," asserting they "will not reach Gaza."
This mission follows a drone attack last May on another coalition ship, the Addameer, off Malta, which caused fire and hull damage. The committee accused Israel of the attack, which Tel Aviv has not officially commented on.
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