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freedom flotilla
Why All Eyes Must Be Firmly on the Freedom Flotilla
Those sailing on the Madleen are engaged in a peaceful act of civil resistance, and should not be met with hostility by the Israeli authorities, and our attention on it can help to ensure it arrives in Gaza safely.
Jun 05, 2025
I was privileged to be in Catania over the past week to see the Madleen embark on its mission to deliver vital humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The Madleen is one of the boats of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which hopes to bring about an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The boat departed Sicily on Sunday carrying a dozen activists along with food, medicine and other supplies.
Two million Gazans have suffered under siege by Israel for many months now. I arrived at the port and was met with a feeling of hope, care and bravery. There is no freedom without solidarity, and the Freedom Flotilla is solidarity.
The mission represents the very best of our shared humanity, and the fact that, despite the intimidation we are subjected to and the attempts to silence and deceive by the aggressor and their allies, the arc of the moral universe will always bend towards justice.
The delivery of humanitarian aid is vital, but so too is the message that the Madleen carries with it — that this genocide in Gaza must be brought to an end, and the foundations laid for the ultimate liberation of the Palestinian people from their oppressor.
Liberation is not merely an academic thought exercise, it is an active living and breathing thing inside the people of the world, especially the Irish people, who long endured an occupation of their own. It is unconscionable what is happening in Gaza, and the Freedom Flotilla is a lighthouse in a very dark time for our humanity.
The mission represents the very best of our shared humanity, and the fact that, despite the intimidation we are subjected to and the attempts to silence and deceive by the aggressor and their allies, the arc of the moral universe will always bend towards justice.
When international law is routinely undermined, and where the multilateral fora responsible for promoting peace, equality and human rights around the world fail to hold nation states to account for war crimes, activists and organisers are left with little choice but to place themselves in harm’s way in the pursuit of justice.
Here in Ireland, we must add to their chances of breaking the siege by adding our voice and solidarity to their mission, so they and the world know we continue to watch and will not stand for the destruction and interception of humanitarian missions.
Danger on the seas
It is highly likely that the Israeli authorities will attempt to obstruct or intercept this critical humanitarian mission. Just four weeks ago, the ship Conscience was subject to drone attacks by Israel shortly before the commencement of its humanitarian mission to Gaza from Malta.
Despite these attacks occurring just outside of Maltese territorial waters, the European Union has done nothing to hold the perpetrator to account.
In 2010, another humanitarian mission by the Freedom Flotilla was violently intercepted by the Israeli authorities on its approach to Gaza, with 10 activists and crew members being killed. Israel was never held to account. For as long as the international community fails to uphold international law, the Israeli authorities will continue to act with the impunity they have been empowered with.
We know that Israel, with the support of the United States, is currently seeking to privatise the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza, sidelining the United Nations and the World Food Programme.
Despite the risks, the activists on the Madleen are undertaking too critical a mission not to continue; to deliver vital humanitarian aid to a suffering people now at risk of enforced famine by their oppressor. Where humanity fails, human rights defenders will always defy, and the Irish Government must now publicly call for safe passage; silence is not an option.
I have heard government leaders say that nobody has a monopoly over concern or compassion for the Palestinian people, but what Governments and media need to realise is that they have a monopoly over resources, power and political relationships and therefore what they do on an international stage matters.
Where is the international community?
It is absolutely imperative that Western governments and international and multilateral organisations now pull every lever at their disposal to bring this genocide of historic proportions to an end.
Governments should use the remaining diplomatic channels to implore Israel to end the blockade and siege of Gaza and to facilitate the safe and unobstructed passage of critical humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. A business-as-usual approach to relations with Israel cannot continue — we must impose sanctions, sever trade ties, and prevent the transfer of munitions of war, which are fuelling the genocide.
If we do not act now, our fingerprints will mark the annihilation of the Palestinian people through our complicity. The freedom flotilla is a peaceful act of civil resistance, and should not be met with hostility by the Israeli authorities, and our attention on it can help to ensure it arrives in Gaza safely.
The activists are trained in non-violence and are motivated only by the principles of human rights and global justice. In circumstances where the vessel is met with hostility, it is incumbent on the rules-based order to defend the activists and their expression of humanity and solidarity for the Palestinian people.
I do not believe there is a time, not even a second, when Ireland does not support what is right. We have demonstrated that time and time again with the consistent commitment of the Irish people to the people of Gaza.
Just today, we have heard reports from the United Nations that aid from the US and Israeli-backed Humanitarian Foundation is to be suspended following a day of open fire on Palestinians seeking aid, killing at least 27 people.
With that in mind, what can one boat of people do against the might of the Israeli army, you might ask? Well, the act of non-violent resistance has always had a place in conflicts throughout history. Martin Luther King Jr said, “Non-violence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals”. When everything has gone dark and humanity feels powerless against the brutality of a regime, the deliberate highlighting of that brutality in a non-violent way can be a powerful thing.
The activists of the Madleen are risking their own lives to highlight the horrific cruelty of the Israeli government against the Palestinians in Gaza. If those seeking aid are targets, then so too are those seeking to bring that aid, so all eyes must be firmly on the Freedom Flotilla; their lives depend on it.
This article first appeared in Ireland's The Journal.
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Will the World Speak up Against Israel’s Likely Attack on Humanitarian Activists?
The Conscience was carrying no weapons. It posed no threat. Its only crime was daring to challenge a brutal siege and slaughter that the United Nations itself has condemned as illegal and inhumane.
May 02, 2025
In the early hours of May 2, the quiet of night was shattered aboard the Conscience, a civilian vessel anchored in international waters, 17 kilometers off the coast of Malta. Aboard were 18 crew members and passengers, jolted from sleep by the sound of two explosions. Flames and smoke filled the air. The ship had just been struck—by what the crew members say were drone attacks.
The very day of the attack, more passengers from 21 countries were waiting in Malta to be ferried out to join the Conscience. Among those slated to join the ship were world-renowned environmentalist Greta Thunberg, retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright, and longtime CODEPINK activist Tighe Barry.
The Conscience is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a network of international activists that has been challenging Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza since 2008.
“The U.S. condemns the Houthis for stopping ships carrying weapons to Israel—and bombs Yemen mercilessly for it. But will they condemn Israel for attacking a peaceful ship on a humanitarian mission to Gaza?”
The group alleges that the attack came from Israel—an allegation bolstered by a CNN investigation. According to CNN, flight-tracking data from ADS-B Exchange showed that an Israeli Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft departed from Israel early Thursday afternoon and flew at low altitude over eastern Malta for an extended period. While the Hercules did not land, its path brought it in proximity to the area where the Conscience was later attacked. The plane returned to Israel approximately seven hours later. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined to comment on the flight data.
The ship suffered significant damage, but fortunately, no one was hurt. That was not the case when the Freedom Flotilla was attacked in 2010. This May 2 attack comes just weeks before the 15th anniversary of the infamous raid on the Mavi Marmara, the Turkish ship that led a previous flotilla to Gaza in 2010. On May 31 of that year, Israeli naval commandos stormed the ship in international waters, killing 10 people and injuring dozens. The Mavi Marmara had been carrying over 500 activists and humanitarian supplies. That attack drew condemnation from around the world and calls for an international investigation—calls that Israel dismissed.
One of this year’s flotilla organizers, Ismail Behesti, is the son of a man killed in the 2010 raid. In videos circulating after the recent strike, Behesti is seen walking through the damaged interior of the Conscience, his voice resolute as he condemns what he believes was another Israeli act of aggression against civilians on a humanitarian mission.
“People are asking how Israel can get away with attacking a civilian ship in international waters,” said Tighe Barry, speaking from the port in Malta. “But since October 8, 2024, Israel has shown complete disregard for international law—from bombing civilian neighborhoods to using starvation as a weapon by blocking food from entering Gaza. This is just one more example of its impunity.”
“Where is the outrage?” Barry continued. “The U.S. condemns the Houthis for stopping ships carrying weapons to Israel—and bombs Yemen mercilessly for it. But will they condemn Israel for attacking a peaceful ship on a humanitarian mission to Gaza?”
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition and activist groups such as CODEPINK are calling on governments and international bodies to speak out and take action.
The Conscience was carrying no weapons. It posed no threat. Its only crime was daring to challenge a brutal siege and slaughter that the United Nations itself has condemned as illegal and inhumane. That’s the real threat Israel fears—not the ship itself, but the global solidarity it represents.
So, will the world speak up about Israel’s latest outrage? Or will this, too, be quietly buried beneath the waves?
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Israel Accused of Drone Attack on 'Freedom Flotilla' Carrying Aid to Starving Gazans
"Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters," said flotilla organizers.
May 02, 2025
A "Freedom Flotilla" vessel carrying humanitarian aid for starving Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip reportedly came under attack in international waters off the coast of Malta early Friday, with organizers accusing Israel of bombing the ship with armed drones.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement that drones attacked the front of its unarmed ship, the Conscience, twice, "causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull."
"The drone strike appears to have deliberately targeted the ship's generator, leaving the crew without power and placing the vessel at great risk of sinking," the coalition said. "On board are international human rights activists on a nonviolent humanitarian mission to challenge Israel's illegal and deadly siege of Gaza, and to deliver desperately needed, life-saving aid."
"Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters," the coalition added.
Huwaida Arraf, an organizer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, wrote in an email to The Washington Post that the group suspects Israel was behind the attack but can't "confirm 100%." The Israeli government has not commented on the accusations.
"Israel has threatened us and attacked us many times before, in 2010, killing 10 of our volunteers," wrote Arraf. "It is also the primary entity interested in keep[ing] us and any aid out of Gaza."
BREAKING: At 00:23 Maltese time, a #FreedomFlotilla ship was subjected to a drone attack. The front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull. The ship is currently located in international waters near #Malta. An #SOS distress signal was sent.
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— Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@freedomflotilla.bsky.social) May 1, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Reutersreported early Friday that "the Maltese government said the vessel and its crew were secured in the early hours of the morning after a nearby tug assisted with firefighting operations," but the outlet noted that organizers insisted the ship "was still in danger."
Climate and human rights activist Greta Thunberg told Reuters that she was in Malta at the time of the reported attack on the Conscience and that she was planning to board the vessel to support the effort to deliver aid to Gazans, who have been struggling to survive under a suffocating two-month Israeli siege and relentless bombing.
On Friday, Amnesty International again called on Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza, saying that the Israeli government's "policy of deliberately imposing conditions of life on Palestinians in Gaza calculated to bring about their physical destruction" amounts to "an act of genocide."
The U.S.-based peace group CodePink condemned the reported drone strike in a statement Friday.
"Retired Army Colonel, former diplomat, and our beloved board member Ann Wright, along with our long-time friend and co-founder's life partner, Tighe Barry, are part of this flotilla effort," CodePink said. "We are so glad they were safe, along with the 16 humanitarians and crew on board the ship."
"CodePink recognizes this as Israel blatantly violating international law by attacking a civilian ship in international waters and putting the lives of all those on the ship in jeopardy," the group added. "They must be held accountable for this attempted murder and every crime they have committed against humanitarians and the people of Gaza. This act by Israel sends a message to the world: Anyone who tries to bring aid to the people of Gaza is a military target and will be treated as such."
CodePink pointed to a CNNreport indicating that "an Israeli Air Force C-130 Hercules was picked up leaving Israel early Thursday afternoon and flying to Malta."
Citing flight-tracking data, CNN reported that "the Hercules did not land at Malta’s international airport, the data shows, but the cargo aircraft did fly at a relatively low altitude—below 5,000 feet—over eastern Malta for an extended period of time."
"The Hercules flew over several hours before the Freedom Flotilla Coalition says their vessel came under attack," the outlet added. "The plane returned to Israel about seven hours later."
This story has been updated to include new comments from CodePink and reporting from CNN.
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