The Israeli Navy prepares to intercept the flotilla towards Gaza, (150 nautical miles, 278 kilometers) that maintains on the waters of the Palestinian strip. Around 20 Israeli military ships are already very close (less than three miles, less than five kilometers) of some of the flotilla, as the members of this mission explain, in which the country is embarked. Kan, Israeli public television, has reported that the Naval Elite Forces Unit, Shayetet 13, will take control of the ships if they continue their progress where previous – and much lower – floats were blocked or assaulted in the last two decades. The current one, with 44 vessels and half a thousand activists. The authorities will deploy 600 police and eight ambulances in the port of Ashdod, about 30 kilometers north of Gaza and where Israeli military ships intend to take activists. They have also put seven hospitals and medical centers in the surroundings, in case they have injured. The order implies reinforcing the teams, especially since the country stops almost completely from this afternoon on the occasion of the Yom Kipur, the most solemn party of Judaism, in which it closes even its airspace.
In case of assault, the Marina’s plan is to move to the members of the flotilla on ships and disembark them in Israel. There they will be sent to Ketziot prison – in the Neguev desert, near the city of Beer Sheva – and subsequently deported to their respective countries. Those who reject the expulsion (which also entails a prohibition of the country) will remain in the hands of personnel of the Ministry of Interior, according to channel 12 of the National Television, a special court will be formed in the prison itself. The Army, on the other hand, will tow some vessels to the coast of Israel, but it is proposed to sink others into the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, to avoid a clash, Israel has reiterated its calls to the flotilla to stop. He has returned to propose to deposit in the port of the Mediterranean Sea that chooses the humanitarian load that he transports. Israel says it will introduce it into the strip, where it has limited it severely (the UN declared the famine in August in the capital area) to use hunger and as collective punishment. In recent days, Israel has tried to present the flotilla as an initiative promoted by Hamas, with tests that do not prove anything.
Call
Its Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, has retweeted a message on Tuesday in which the head of the government of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, asked the flotilla to “stop now” for fear that his attempt to break the Israeli naval block “can serve as a pretext” to throw out the end of the war and the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population of the USA, Donald Trump, and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamín Netanyahu, and on which Hamas has not yet pronounced.
“Any other option runs the risk of becoming a tool to hinder peace, feed the conflict and, therefore, mainly harm the population of Gaza, which we say we ask for help. It is time to act with seriousness and responsibility,” wrote the Italian leader, who has sent military ships to help the possible injured, although declared by Israel.
Saar has resumed the message on the same line. “Listen to Giorgia Meloni. The United States, Israel and the leaders of the Middle East and around the world are trying to end the war. The attention should focus on the de-escalated, not on orchestrating provocations, such as the Hamás-Sumud flotilla. Through the port of Chipre, the sea port of Ashkelon [en Israel] or any other port of the region. ”
