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09-06-2025
CAIRO: The Madleen ship, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), is en route to Gaza, carrying humanitarian aid as the Palestinian enclave faces food shortages due to more than 90 days of total Israeli blockade.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg is among the 12 activists on board the vessel to break Israel’s siege of the Strip since March 2. The enclave has already been under Israel’s land, sea and air blockade since 2007.
The Madleen departed Catania, Sicily, on June 1, just one month after Israeli drones bombed another FFC aid ship headed for Gaza. This is the latest effort to send aid into Gaza, where more than 54,000 people have been killed in Israeli bombardment.
The 2,000km (1,250-mile) journey is expected to take seven days, provided there are no disruptions. The ship’s location is being monitored live by Forensic Architecture and using a Garmin live tracker on board. The latest location as of June 4, at 07:23 GMT, was 70 nautical miles (130km) southwest of the Greek island of Crete. Multiple reports in Israeli media say that the military will not allow the ship to reach Gaza and that the activists risk detention and the seizure of their ship if they failt to comply with the Israeli army.
Ships that tried to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza
The SS Liberty and the Free Gaza: In August 2008, two Free Gaza Movement wooden ships carrying 44 activists from 17 countries reached the port of Gaza, the first foreign vessel to dock there in 41 years. They successfully delivered 200 hearing aids for children there.
The Mavi Marmara: At around 4am on May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza. They shot and killed eight Turkish nationals and an American Turkish national, while a tenth Turkish national later died of his wounds.
The Marianne; on June 29, 2015, Israel’s military boarded and seized the ship at around 2:00am local time, some 100 nautical miles (185km) from Gaza’s shore.
The Akdeniz; in April 2024, the Akdeniz was unable to depart Turkiye after organizers said its flag was withdrawn under pressure from Israeli and US authorities. It was the lead ship in a flotilla carrying 5,000 tones of humanitarian supplies and aid workers from 40 countries including former South African President Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela.
The Conscience; at the beginning of May this year, two drones hit the ship, causing the engine to catch fire and blowing a hole in the hull, before it reached Malta where crew members, including Greta Thunberg, were preparing to board.
Madleen set to arrive in Palestinian waters in 24 hours
Rima Hassan, the French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament on board the Madleen, says the ship will reach Palestinian waters within a day.
In a post on Instagram, Hassan wrote in French; “in 24 hours, we will arrive in Palestinian waters, illegally controlled and occupied by Israel.”
Painful memories of Israeli raid on Mavi Marmara
In 2010, Israeli forces stormed the Mavi Marmara, a ship in a flotilla trying to break the siege on Gaza, in a raid that left 10 people dead.
Journalist Jamal Elshayyal, who witnessed the 2010 raid firsthand, reflects on its lasting impact as the Madleen nears Gaza:
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has put out a short statement in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who are spending the Eid al-Adha holiday under Israeli bombardment and siege.
“You deserve life, justice, peace, and the right to celebrate Eid without mourning,” the group wrote on social media. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
