Israel army vows to 'protect maritime space' as aid boat sails for Gaza

Israel's military said it was ready to "protect" the country's maritime space on Tuesday, after a boat organised by an international activist coalition set sail for Gaza aiming to deliver aid.

The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily on Sunday and is carrying around a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

Israel has come under increasing international criticism over the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, where the United Nations warned in May that the entire population was at risk of famine.

"The (Israeli military) is prepared to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts -- in the north, the south, the centre and also in the maritime arena," army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said.

"The navy operates day and night to protect Israel's maritime space and borders at sea," he added at a televised press conference.

"For this case as well, we are prepared," he said in response to a question about the Freedom Flotilla vessel, declining to go into detail.

"We have gained experience in recent years, and we will act accordingly."

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, launched in 2010, is a non-violent international movement supporting Palestinians, combining humanitarian aid with political protest against the blockade on Gaza.

The "Madleen" is a small sailboat reportedly carrying fruit juices, milk, rice, tinned food and protein bars.

"Together, we can open a people's sea corridor to Gaza," the Freedom Flotilla Coalition wrote on X on Tuesday.

In early May, a Freedom Flotilla ship called the "Conscience" was damaged in international waters off Malta as it headed to Gaza, with the activists saying they suspected an Israeli drone attack.

Israel recently eased a more than two-month blockade on the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, but the aid community has urged it to allow in more food, faster.