Israel warns it will stop aid flotilla heading for Gaza

Israel has warned its subject volition "take immoderate measures are necessary" to forestall a vessel carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian assistance reaching Gaza.

The Madleen yacht is 160 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip and is attempting to situation Israel's naval blockade of the territory.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the 12-strong crew, which includes clime protester Greta Thunberg, should crook backmost and that Israel volition enactment against immoderate effort to breach the blockade.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said the vessel, which departed Sicily connected Friday, was carrying humanitarian assistance and was "prepared for the anticipation of an Israeli attack".

Katz said the blockade's intent was to "prevent the transportation of weapons to Hamas" and was indispensable to Israel's information arsenic it seeks to destruct the Palestinian equipped radical Hamas.

He warned successful a station connected X connected Sunday: "I person instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to enactment to forestall the 'Madeleine' [sic] hatred flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza - and to instrumentality immoderate measures are indispensable to that end."

Addressing the unit directly, helium added: "To the antisemitic Greta and her chap Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I accidental clearly: You should crook backmost - due to the fact that you volition not scope Gaza.

"Israel volition enactment against immoderate effort to interruption the blockade oregon assistance violent organizations – astatine sea, successful the air, and connected land."

The FFC characterised the minister's connection arsenic an illustration of Israel threatening the unlawful usage of unit against civilians and "attempting to warrant that unit with smears".

"We volition not beryllium intimidated. The satellite is watching," FFC property serviceman Hay Sha Wiya said.

"The Madleen is simply a civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing successful planetary waters, carrying humanitarian assistance and quality rights defenders from crossed the globe... Israel has nary close to obstruct our effort to scope Gaza."

The radical added that the vas had earlier experienced impermanent awesome jamming, causing its determination to look adjacent Jordan.

The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including atom and babe formula, the radical said.

People from Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey are onboard.

Israeli media accidental its navy is expected to artifact the vessel earlier it reaches Gaza.

"We volition calmly instrumentality power of the ship, bring them to Israel, and deport them overseas that aforesaid night," an Israeli authoritative told the Jerusalem Post.

In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people erstwhile they boarded Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara that was starring an assistance flotilla towards Gaza.

It is astir 20 months since Israel launched a subject run successful Gaza successful effect to an unprecedented Hamas-led cross-border onslaught connected Israel, successful which astir 1,200 radical were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At slightest 54,880 radical person been killed successful Gaza since, according to the territory's Hamas-run wellness ministry.