Israel is monitoring and prepared to respond to a Gaza-bound protest ship carrying Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as it nears the Strip.
The Madleen set sail Sunday under the rubric of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition with a group of pro-Palestinian activists from Catania in Sicily, and aims to run Israel’s blockade of Gaza, hoping to make shore on Saturday.
IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed Wednesday that Israel is tracking the vessel. “For this case as well, we are prepared,” he told The Times of London. “We have gained experience in recent years, and we will act accordingly,” he said, without specifying what measures might be taken.
Thunberg, 22, shared photos of herself on board wearing a keffiyeh and holding a PLO flag. The group describes the voyage as a nonviolent protest against “Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes.”
She and fellow activist Thiago Avila from Brazil sent a panicked video message, warning of a drone hovering overhead. They said they lost sight of it before filming, and it turned out to belong to the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Thunberg gave an emotional speech before departure, saying, “We have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity.”
The vessel carries a small amount of aid supplies—including milk and protein bars—in what organizers admit is a symbolic effort.
This latest voyage follows a previous attempt by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, whose earlier vessel, the Conscience, was reportedly damaged by drone strikes on May 2 before it could pick up Thunberg in Malta. The group blamed Israel; Jerusalem has not publicly commented on the incident.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) responded to Thunberg’s participation with a blunt post on social media: “Hope Greta and her friends can swim.”
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is composed of several NGOs, including Turkish groups involved in the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, during which nine activists died after they attacked Israeli Navy commandoes.
Israel maintains that its blockade, in place since 2007, is a necessary security measure to prevent weapons and dual use materials from reaching Hamas.