Israel's defence minister on Sunday ordered the military to block an aid boat headed for Gaza with 12 activists on board, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

"I have instructed the military to prevent the Madleen flotilla from reaching Gaza," Israel Katz said in a statement from his office.

"To Greta the antisemite and her companions, Hamas propaganda mouthpieces, I say clearly: turn back because you will not reach Gaza," Katz said.

The organisers of the Madleen's voyage said on Saturday they had reached Egyptian waters and were nearing Gaza, where the war between Israel and Hamas has entered its 21st month.

The Madleen, a sailing boat operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left Italy on June 1 with the stated aim of delivering humanitarian aid and breaking the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory.

"Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade of Gaza, which is aimed at preventing weapons from reaching Hamas – a murderous terrorist group holding our hostages and committing war crimes," Katz said.

"Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or support terror groups – by sea, air or land," he added.

Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks on Sunday killed at least 10 people including two girls in the Palestinian territory.

"Five martyrs and dozens of wounded were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis after the [Israeli] occupation forces opened fire on civilians at around 6 am", agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said.

The civilians had been heading to an aid distribution centre west of Rafah, near a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group that has come under criticism from the United Nations and humanitarian agencies.

The war was sparked by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians.

On Sunday, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said that the overall toll for the Gaza war had reached 54,880, the majority civilians. The UN considers these figures reliable. (AFP)
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Last updated: 2025-06-08 HKT 20:43