ISRAEL'S military has been ordered to do "whatever it takes" to stop Greta Thunberg's boat from reaching Gaza.
The 22-year-old climate activist is among 12 people aboard the Madleen, which departed Sicily last Sunday under the banner of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
The group says its mission is to break Israel's long-standing sea blockade and deliver urgent aid to the war-torn enclave.
But Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant issued a blunt warning as the vessel entered the final stretch of its journey: “You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.”
In a post on X, Gallant said he had given the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) a green light to intervene: “I have instructed the IDF to act so that the ‘Madeleine’ hate flotilla does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take any means necessary to that end.
“To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.
“Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations – at sea, in the air and on land.”
Alongside Thunberg is Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament of Palestinian descent.
She has previously been barred from entering Israel due to her outspoken criticism of its policies towards Palestinians.
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