Greta Thunberg – stay updates: Gaza support ship reaches port after Israel vows to deport all activists on board | EUROtoday

Israel and Egypt have imposed various levels of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized energy from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

Israel says the blockade is required to stop Hamas from importing arms, whereas critics say it quantities to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian inhabitants.

Israel sealed off Gaza from all support within the early days of the warfare ignited by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, however later relented below US stress.

In early March, shortly earlier than Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the nation once more blocked all imports, together with meals, gas and medication.

The 12-person Madleen set sail for Gaza eight days in the past from the port of Catania in Sicily.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), liable for the boat, stated the journey aimed “to break Israel’s more than 17-year illegal and inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip”.

The ship’s location was being monitored stay by Forensic Architecture utilizing a Garmin stay tracker on board earlier than that tracker was switched off when Israel intercepted the vessel.

Speaking aboard the Madleen final week, Ms Thunberg advised Middle East Eye: “We have promised ourselves and we have promised the Palestinian people to do everything we can.

“When our governments are failing us … then it falls on us to step up and be the adults in the room.

“We are just human beings, very concerned about what’s happening, and do not accept what is going on.”

A convoy of buses and personal vehicles have departed from Tunisia to Gaza as a part of efforts to highlight Israel’s blockade on humanitarian support to the territory.

The overland effort — organized independently however moved as much as coincide with the flotilla — is made up of activists, attorneys and medical professionals from North Africa.

It plans to traverse Tunisia, Libya and Egypt earlier than reaching Rafah, the border crossing with Egypt that has remained largely closed since Israel’s navy took management of the Gaza aspect in May 2024.

The Tunisian civil society teams behind the convoy stated their purpose is to demand “the immediate lifting of the unjust siege on the strip.”

They stated that Arab governments haven’t pushed sufficient to finish the 20-month warfare between Israel and Hamas.

“This convoy speaks directly to our people in Gaza and says, ‘You are not alone. We share your pain and suffering,’” Yahia Sarri, one of many convoy’s Algerian organizers, wrote on social media.

The North African activists don’t anticipate their convoy to be allowed into Gaza. Regardless, it gives “a message of challenge and will,” stated Saher al-Masri, a Tunis-based Palestinian activist.

There have been not less than eleven events when Israel has intercepted activists or pro-Palestinian militants making an attempt to interrupt its blockade on Gaza, we are able to report.

Israel’s blockade on Gaza has been in place since late 2007.

The most vital incident occurred in May 2010, when a six-boat flotilla was intercepted by the Israeli navy round 90 miles from Gaza. Nine individuals have been killed after Israeli commandos opened hearth on activists, having boarded the flagship vessel, the Mavi Marmara, Israel claims the activists started attacking the troopers first. Neither account has been confirmed.

There have been extra, main makes an attempt by activists in July 2011, June 2015 and August 2018. The vessels have been all boarded with out incident by Israeli forces. Like the Madleen, a number of have been taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Several smaller efforts have been additionally intercepted by Israel, largely within the two years between 2009 and 2011.

In March 2011, the Israelis intercepted a freighter known as the Victoria within the Mediterranean with 50 tonnes of hid weapons allegedly certain for Gaza.

Last month, two drones hit one other vessel destined for Gaza whereas it was off the coast of Malta. It was run by the identical organisation that manages the Madleen, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The FFC claimed these drones have been Israeli. Israel declined to remark.

Israel and Egypt have imposed various levels of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized energy from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.

Israel says the blockade is required to stop Hamas from importing arms, whereas critics say it quantities to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian inhabitants.

Israel sealed off Gaza from all support within the early days of the warfare ignited by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, however later relented below US stress.

In early March, shortly earlier than Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the nation once more blocked all imports, together with meals, gas and medication.

US president Donald Trump has stated he thinks activist Greta Thunberg is a “strange person”.

Speaking to reporters within the White House, he stated: “Well, she’s a strange person. She’s a young, angry person. I don’t know if it’s real anger. It’s hard to believe, actually, but I saw what happened. She’s certainly different…anger management. I think she has to go to anger management class. That’s my primary recommendation for her.”