From: Anadolu Agency Ankara, Türkiye June 2, 2025
Israel plans to block vessel seeking to break Gaza siege
Navy braces for arrival of Gaza Flotilla sailboat Madleen, which sailed from Sicily

Israel said Monday that it is planning to block a ship carrying international activists sailing toward the Gaza Strip to break the Israeli siege on the enclave amid a worsening humanitarian crisis due to Israel’s genocidal war.

Israel’s Army Radio said the navy is preparing for the arrival of the Gaza Flotilla sailboat Madleen which left Sicily on its way to the Gaza Strip in an attempt to “break the naval blockade.”

The ship is carrying a 12-person crew, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham.

In a brief response to a request for comment, the Israeli military said:
“it is enforcing the security maritime closure on Gaza and is preparing for a variety of scenarios,” without elaborating further.

On Monday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said in a statement that it “launched the Madleen, a civilian ship now sailing toward Gaza carrying humanitarian aid and international human rights defenders in direct defiance of Israel’s illegal and genocidal blockade.”

On board are volunteers from several countries, including French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan and Greta Thunberg, it added.

The ship, part of the FFC, is carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches and children’s prosthetics.

The statement emphasized that “this is a peaceful act of civil resistance. All volunteers and crew aboard Madleen are trained in non-violence.”

Wow! They need to be trained in non-violence — Says it all