'Israel' orders its army to block Soumoud Convoy from reaching Gaza
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"Israel" threatens the Soumoud Convoy as thousands of North African activists head to Gaza with aid after the Madleen ship was seized.
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A woman reacts in a bus, part of a convoy made up of activists, from North Africa, departing from Tunisia to Gaza to break the Israeli blockade on the territory, in Gabes, Tunisia, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)
Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz has directed the Israeli army to stop a convoy of pro-Palestinian activists attempting to enter the blockaded Gaza Strip, painting them as "foreign jihadists".
Katz stated that he anticipates the Egyptian authorities will block the so-called "jihadist demonstrators" from approaching the Egyptian-occupied Palestinian border, and prevent any attempts to enter Gaza.
He further claimed that the demonstrators endanger the Egyptian regime and threaten all moderate Arab regimes in the region.
The Israeli minister also claimed that the group holds "antisemitic" views aligned with Hamas and seeks to spread radical Islamic ideology throughout the region, allegedly backed by what he referred to as the "Iranian axis of evil."
The convoy set out on its trip shortly after the Madleen ship, which was sailing to Gaza to deliver essential humanitarian aid to the Strip, was intercepted by Israeli occupation forces and its crew detained.
The "Soumoud Convoy" carves its path to Gaza after Madleen seizure
The convoy, named the "Maghreb Resilience Convoy" or "Soumoud Convoy," set out from Tunisia on Monday with over 7,000 participants and approximately 300 vehicles, aiming to deliver critical humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been under a brutal Israeli blockade since March.
The protest caravan, consisting of activists from Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, is scheduled to enter Egypt on Thursday before reaching Rafah in the coming days.
According to the convoy organizers, this initiative represents a worldwide effort involving thousands of solidarity activists from 32 countries working to end "Israel's" genocidal war on Gaza, lift the blockade, and provide urgently needed aid to over two million Palestinians facing starvation.
Madleen seized, activists detained by 'Israel'
Previously, Katz ordered the military on June 8 to intercept the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel headed toward the Gaza Strip, escalating tensions as international activists attempt to break the Israeli siege and deliver urgently needed humanitarian supplies.
Katz publicly threatened the vessel's mission, declaring, "I have instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen does not reach Gaza. To the antisemitic Greta and her friends, I say clearly: You should turn back, because you will not reach Gaza."
The flotilla was seized on June 9, and Greta Thunberg, along with three other activists, were deported from the occupied territories, however, eight other activists, including French MEP Rima Hassan, have refused to sign their deportation papers.
