According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on June 9, the Israeli army boarded the "Maddie" ship, which was carrying humanitarian supplies to the Gaza region and was carrying Greta Thunberg, the "environmental girl," on that day. The ship has since lost contact with the outside world. An Israeli official stated: "We will not allow anyone to violate the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip."

The report said that this information was released by the "Free Fleet" organization, which operates the "Maddie" ship, on its social platform channel. The "Free Fleet" organization also released a photo showing people wearing life jackets with their hands raised sitting in a small cabin. It is impossible to confirm Greta's condition from the photo.

Photo released by the "Free Fleet" organization

Israel's Defense Minister Katz stated in a tweet on August 8: "I have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to take action to prevent the 'hate fleet' Maddie from reaching the Gaza coast and to take all necessary measures for this purpose. As for the 'anti-Semite' Greta and her Hamas propagandist colleagues, I clearly say, you should turn back because you cannot reach Gaza."

"Israel will firmly resist any attempt to break through the blockade or assist 'terrorist organizations,' whether at sea, in the air, or on land," Katz added. In fact, Israel has long controlled all access points to the Gaza Strip, including shipping. Even going out to fish is strictly restricted for Palestinians living in Gaza. Bloomberg reported that Israel recently strengthened its maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip to "prevent Hamas from obtaining weapons."

Greta on the "Maddie" ship Greta's personal social media

Previously, The Jerusalem Post also cited Israeli military sources as saying that Israel had directly conveyed instructions not to approach the Gaza coast to the activists aboard the "Maddie." Sources said that if the order was violated, the Israeli military might control the ship and arrest relevant personnel.

The "Free Fleet" organization said that the "Maddie" had set sail from Sicily on June 1. The "Free Fleet," a humanitarian organization established in 2010, mainly opposes the blockade of Gaza through various means and supports Palestine internationally. This is why Katz referred to it as the "hate fleet."

In 2010, the Israeli army attacked the "Mavi Marmara" of the "Free Fleet" off the Palestinian coast, killing 10 Turkish citizens and arresting other activists on board. Just in May 2025, another ship of the "Free Fleet" suffered two drone attacks from unknown forces.

Photo of the attacked ship released by the "Free Fleet" organization website in May 2025.

Since the resumption of hostilities in the Gaza Strip in 2023, Israel has strictly controlled the entry of external supplies such as food, water, medicine, and fuel into the Gaza Strip, leading to a large-scale humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The international community, including many Western countries, has condemned Israel's siege of Gaza. Israel occasionally relaxes some of its blockade measures on Gaza under diplomatic pressure, but the Israeli military has recently fired on civilians receiving supplies multiple times, causing multiple casualties.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513762676322763302/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking the "thumbs up/thumbs down" button below.