Greta Thunberg in front of the Gaza Strip: Israel threatens military defense!

Greta Thunberg in front of the Gaza Strip: Israel threatens military defense!

The Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and her team of twelve activists are on the way to the Gaza Strip with the sailing ship "Madleen" to provide relief supplies such as baby food and medical products. The ship is part of the so -called "Freedom Flotilla" and dropped from Sicily a week ago. On Sunday afternoon, the team was north of the coast of Egypt, less than 300 kilometers from its destination. The activist group has emphasized that there are no weapons on board and pursues the goal of drawing international attention to the dramatic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. According to Welt threatened to prevent the arrival of the ship.

The Israeli government has decided that the ship must not break the sea blockade of the Gaza Strip. Defense Minister Israel Katz described the activists as "left -wing extremist activists" and asked them to reverse. Katz said that Israel would not allow anyone to break through the blockade, which has existed since 2007, after Hamas has been taking over. The security authorities of Israel have also decided that the group must not approach the area, such as Zeit reports that the civilian population in Gaza suffers from extreme deprivation and traditional humane channels collapsed.

In order to reorganize the distribution of reliefs in the Gaza Strip, the private international Foundation Gaza Humanitrian Foundation (GHF) is planning to supply 1.2 million Palestinians with food, water and hygieneKITS over four distribution centers. Israel and the United States support this plan, but there are concerns from Amnesty International that the GHF could possibly violate international law.

international attention and political reactions

The action by Thunberg and its colleagues is shaped by the endeavor to draw the international community aware of the increasingly critical humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Israeli media reported that the activists could possibly be dragged into the port of Aschdod and arrested there if you try to put on the Gaza strip. In the past, Israel had already refused to approved other activists to unload their relief goods.

The increasing international criticism of Israel has gained intensity in recent months. While politics is looking for solutions and further aid deliveries have to be organized, the situation in the Gaza Strip remains tense and humanitarian needs are enormous. The world public will follow developments in the case of the “Madleen” and the further reaction of Israel.