Israeli military ordered to block arrival of Freedom Flotilla as ship nears Gaza


Thomas Helm
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Activists on board a yacht to Gaza were on collision course with Israel's army on Sunday, as Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed troops to stop the “Freedom Flotilla” from entering the strip.

The flotilla, which plans to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as well as raise awareness about the dire situation there, has 12 people on board including public figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian politician Rima Hassan.

"Turn back because you will not reach Gaza," said Mr Katz, who described the activists as "propaganda mouthpieces" for Hamas. The yacht Madleen was about 150 nautical miles from Gaza on Sunday evening.

It is expected to reach Gaza on Monday, when Ms Hassan said the crew expects to be "illegally detained" by Israeli authorities. Activists expect to have their internet cut off and belongings confiscated, making it impossible to document their possible arrest.

"During this time we will be handcuffed and under surveillance by Israeli soldiers," Ms Hassan said in a video from the deck of the Madleen. "We will most likely undergo interrogation and potentially detention, before being sent back to our countries of origin."

The possibility of an imminent clash is grabbing attention worldwide and stirring memories of previous instances over the years during which Israeli forces prevented activists from approaching Gaza by sea. In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli naval forces stormed the Mavi Marmara ship.

The voyage came as five more people were reported killed by gunfire near US and Israeli-backed aid centres in Gaza. At least 108 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said on Sunday. It said the war's total death toll has risen to 54,880, with a further 126,227 people injured.

Mr Katz addressed his order to "turn back" to what he called "the anti-Semitic Greta and her friends", in a statement released by his office.

He said Israel “will not allow anyone to violate the naval blockade on Gaza – the purpose of which is first and foremost to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas, a murderous terrorist organisation that holds our hostages and commits war crimes”.

Ms Thunberg, best known as the face of a youth movement demanding action on climate change, has frequently spoken up about the war in Gaza - at times dividing her eco-minded movement. She said before the Madleen departed from Catania, Italy, that "it falls on us to be the adults in the room … we have to keep our promise to the Palestinians to do everything in our power to protest the genocide".

The yacht is carrying a small amount of humanitarian aid including baby formula and medical supplies, while also making a symbolic voyage in protest at Israel's blockade. Crew members say they are unarmed civilians who pose no threat.

Yasemin Acar, a German activist on board, said on Sunday that the crew "will certainly not listen to Israel telling us that we cannot come. She said Israel was putting Gaza under "an illegal siege, so who are they to tell us where we can go and where we cannot go?”.

Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza has been broken by activists before, with several successful instances in 2008. The most recent vessel that made the attempt, Conscience, was hit by drones in May, with activists widely blaming Israel although the military has not claimed responsibility.

On that occasion, the crew reported a breach in the ship's hull due to a drone strike shortly after midnight. There were no casualties as the crew eventually reached Malta.

The yacht Madleen is named after a Gazan fisherwoman, according to the organisation, which says the flotilla is "carrying a cargo of hope and humanitarian aid". Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham is also on board.

Israel blockaded all aid to Gaza for 11 weeks beginning in March. A limited amount of aid began entering last month, with food now being distributed by a private US foundation whose operations have been marred by violence.

A woman raises the Palestinian flag as the Madleen sets sail from Catania, Italy. Getty Images
A woman raises the Palestinian flag as the Madleen sets sail from Catania, Italy. Getty Images

Activists on board the Madleen have been posting frequent messages on social media. “When governments fail, we sail,” read one post by crew member Thiago Avila.

“This mission should not exist. It should have been done by governments, by international organisations. We only need to do this because governments are failing Palestine.”

On Saturday the crew reported reaching Egypt after a delay caused by rescuing four migrants who threw themselves overboard a vessel in distress, in a bid to escape Libya’s coastguard, according to organisers.

Sailing in the Mediterranean on Thursday, the ship was diverted by a mayday signal from an EU border patrol drone, leading it to a deflating vessel in Egypt's search and rescue zone, organisers said.

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6.20pm: West Acre
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?

Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
 

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Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
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  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
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  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
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Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners

Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
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Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Matterhorn, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

7.30pm: Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Loxley, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.

The biog

Name: Abeer Al Bah

Born: 1972

Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992

Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old

Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school

 

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
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  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
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How to vote

Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi

Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday) 

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

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Updated: June 08, 2025, 3:00 PM`