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gaza freedom flotilla
Israel Can Only Deter the Global Sumud Flotilla by Stopping Its Genocide in Gaza
Threats of mistreatment from one of the architects of Israeli genocide will not deter those who are fed up with the Israeli murder of Palestinians and the physical destruction of Gaza.
Sep 03, 2025
As many boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla with hundreds of participants from around the world get set to depart from Barcelona and Tunis and a third wave of ships prepares for a late September departure to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza and the genocide of Palestinians, the headline in the September 1, 2025 Jerusalem Post reads, “Ben-Gvir Plans to Designate Global Sumud Flotilla activists as terrorists, seize boats.”
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir goes on to say that “activists will be held in prisons for terrorists and will be denied special privileges such as television, radio, and specialized food.”
Well, having been twice (2010 and 2016) in Israeli prison for being on boats challenging the illegal Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, I am sure Ben-Gvir has never been in his own prisons.
Those of us who have been in Israeli prison know that we have never been in cells that have TV or radio. And the foods are definitely not “speciality.” Pieces of bread, a tomato, a piece of cucumber, and perhaps a glass of tea are all I have had while in Israeli prison, which was fine with me as we know that Palestinian prisoners in the same prison may not be given even those “luxuries.”
Our latest flotilla participants on the Madleen and Handala report very dirty cells with two persons getting the skin disease scabies while in prison. Both women and men have been put in solitary confinement.
What prison conditions are like will not be a deterrent to those on boats who are challenging the Israeli genocide of Gaza.
Threats of mistreatment from one of the architects of Israeli genocide will not deter those who are fed up with the Israeli murder of Palestinians and the physical destruction of Gaza and are willing to risk their lives to bring further attention to the horrific genocide of Palestinians and the starvation of children, the elderly, and all the Palestinians in Gaza.
The only thing that will deter the flotillas will be Israel permanently stopping the bombing and destruction of Gaza and allowing food and medicines into Gaza and distribution by well-established organizations that have professional distribution systems so all in Gaza will have access to food and medicines.
The flotillas will continue to sail until the Israeli destruction of Gaza and Palestinians ends.
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Chris Smalls Is Coming Home; Will This Shake the US Labor Movement Into Action on Gaza?
Despite Smalls' high-profile success at Amazon, the majority of American unions ignored his beating by the IDF.
Jul 31, 2025
Early Thursday morning, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced that Amazon Labor Union founder Chris Smalls had been released from Israeli prison.
According to the group, Smalls is currently on his way to the Allenby Bridge border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan. From Jordan, he is expected to fly to JFK.
Labor Party USA, an organization founded by Smalls, confirmed on Instagram that they were planning a welcoming party for him at KFK Airport on Friday morning.
Smalls' detention and arrest caused international outrage.
With Smalls returning to the United States, it will be interesting to see whether he speaks publicly about his beating at the hands of the IDF, which will draw more attention to the plight of Palestinians within the labor movement.
On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) boarded the Handala, a ship associated with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, that was attempting to reach Gaza with supplies for starving Palestinians. The IDF detained 21 activists, who had their hands held up, in graphic images that the Freedom Flotilla Coalition captured.
On Monday, details emerged that not only was Smalls detained, but he was physically beaten by the IDF. He was the only Black member of the Freedom Flotilla on the Handala.
"The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirms that upon arrival in Israeli custody, U.S. human rights defender, Christian Smalls, was physically assaulted by seven uniformed individuals," wrote the Freedom Flotilla Coalition on Instagram. "They choked him and kicked him in the legs, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back."
Still, despite Smalls having been profiled by every major media outlet in the U.S. when he successfully led the union drive at Amazon, not a single major media outlet has covered his violent detention by the IDF five days ago.
Even worse, the majority of American unions ignored his beating by the IDF.
Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, whose union the Amazon Labor Union is affiliated with, has yet to denounce his detention. Instead, O'Brien, who famously spoke in praise of Trump at the Republican National Convention last summer, took to social media Tuesday to promote an interview with Tucker Carlson.
Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson did denounce the IDF's beating of Smalls.
"If this is how the IDF treats American citizens traveling with media attention, it brings even more credibility to the reports of their abuses of Palestinian civilians," Nelson wrote on Bluesky late Wednesday. "I stand in solidarity w/ my brother Chris, the civilians in Gaza and all working towards peace and dignity for all. End this horror."
While most American unions stayed silent, the 750,000 member Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the largest union in Canada, did denounce the IDF's treatment of Smalls.
"CUPE stands in solidarity with U.S. labour leader Chris Smalls and all the activists unlawfully detained by Israel while on board the Freedom Flotilla Handala, delivering aid to Gaza," CUPE wrote on Bluesky late Wednesday. "We condemn this brutality and call for their immediate release."
With Smalls returning to the United States, it will be interesting to see whether he speaks publicly about his beating at the hands of the IDF, which will draw more attention to the plight of Palestinians within the labor movement.
The Amazon Labor Union called on the rest of the labor movement to mobilize to denounce the detention of Amazon Labor Union founder Chris Smalls.
"We honor the call from Palestinian labor unions to disrupt the arms trade and support global workers' actions such as strikes, direct protests, and other efforts," the Amazon Labor Union said in a statement.
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Israeli Navy Seizes Second Gaza-Bound Freedom Flotilla Vessel in 2 Months
"The interception occurred in international waters outside Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, in violation of international maritime law," the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said.
Jul 26, 2025
The Israeli military intercepted and seized the Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessel The Handala late Saturday night local time as it attempted to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to the besieged people of Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported that Israeli forces cut the cameras on board the ship at 11:43 pm local time, when it was around 40 nautical miles from Gaza.
"The unarmed boat was carrying lifesaving supplies when it was boarded by Israeli forces, its passengers abducted, and its cargo seized," the coalition wrote. "The interception occurred in international waters outside Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, in violation of international maritime law."
Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed that its navy had intercepted the ship, as Al Jazeera reported.
"The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel," the ministry said in a statement. "All passengers are safe."
"Our vessel does not constitute any threat to you. We carry only humanitarian aid, and therefore, you have no authority to intercept or otherwise attack our vessel."
The Handala set sail for Gaza on July 20 from Gallipoli, Italy. It is the second attempt by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to break the siege on Gaza in under two months. An earlier attempt in June was also intercepted by the Israeli military and its crew members arrested and deported.
There are 21 crew members onboard The Handala from 12 countries: 19 human rights defenders and two journalists. The crew includes seven U.S. citizens, among them labor leader Christian Smalls.
The crew had promised to begin a hunger strike as soon as they were intercepted by the Israeli military.
"In captivity they can give their sandwiches and water to the starving people of Gaza," Smalls wrote on social media.
Another U.S. crew member, the Palestinian-American lawyer and activist Huwaida Arraf, rebuked the Israeli Navy as they boarded the ship, according to a video obtained by Al Jazeera:
"Let me give you a lesson in international law," Arraf said, adding:
Any blockade that deliberately starves a civilian population is a violation of international law. It is not only that—it is a war crime. You have no legal authority to enforce an unlawful blockade. And as such, you have no authority to use force to enforce an unlawful blockade.
Therefore, we demand that you stand down. You are responsible for the well-being of every civilian on board this vessel. As an occupying power in Gaza, you are responsible for the health and well-being of the civilian population there.
Not only have you disregarded that obligation, but you are actively exterminating the people. You have engineered a famine. You are deliberately starving civilians and children before the eyes of the world.
Our vessel does not constitute any threat to you. We carry only humanitarian aid, and therefore, you have no authority to intercept or otherwise attack our vessel. We demand again that you stand down.
The Handala's interception came at the close of a day that saw 71 people killed in Gaza due to Israeli attacks and five perish from hunger. This brings the total number of deaths from starvation in Gaza to over 127, among them more than 85 children. After 658 days of a U.S.-backed Israeli siege, at least 244,000 Palestinians in Gaza are now in the most dangerous Stage 5 of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification to measure famine. One five-month-old child who died on Friday due to lack of baby formula weighed less at death than she did at birth, as The Associated Press reported. A growing number of human rights experts and advocates have characterized Israel's war and siege on Gaza as a genocide.
The ship was carrying diapers, baby formula, food, and medicine.
According to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Saturday's interception was the "third violent act by Israeli forces against Freedom Flotilla missions this year alone."
"It follows the drone bombing of the civilian aid ship Conscience in European waters in May, which injured four people and disabled the vessel, and the illegal seizure of The Madleen in June, where Israeli forces abducted 12 civilians, including a member of the European Parliament," the group wrote.
Ann Wright, a member of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition steering committee, called on the governments of the 21 crew members to advocate for their citizens.
"Protect innocent international people who are merely accompanying a small amount of aid—medical and food—as a symbol of the international outrage at what Israel is doing," she told Al Jazeera.
This article has been corrected to state that 244,000 Palestinians in Gaza were in Phase 5 of starvation in May 2025. A previous version incorrectly stated that 85% of the population was in Phase 5.
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Despite 2 Sabotage Attempts, the Gaza Flotilla Ship Handala Sails Onward
The Handala departed for Gaza on July 20, 2025 with 21 participants, including seven U.S. citizens.
Jul 21, 2025
Mere hours before the Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship Handala was to sail with 21 participants on board, in the Italian port of Gallipoli, two attempts to sabotage the ship were made.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition stated in its Instagram:
Just hours before departure, the Handala faced two alarming incidents: a rope wrapped around the propeller and a delivery labeled as water that contained a corrosive chemical, injuring crew members. These may be calculated attempts to harm us and stop our mission.
We will not be intimidated. We sail for the children of Gaza—against siege, starvation, and slaughter. We sail to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver lifesaving aid and hope.
We call on the world to demand accountability and ensure safe passage for this civilian mission.
Despite the two attempts at sabotage, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition sailed its next ship to break the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The Handala departed for Gaza on July 20, 2025 from the Italian port of Gallipoli after stops in Augusta and Siracusa in Sicily. The journey to Gaza may take around seven days.
Twenty-one persons from 10 countries are onboard the Handala, including seven U.S. citizens, representing the hundreds of millions of Americans who are strongly opposed to U.S. complicity in the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
The following nationalities are represented on the Handala: USA, 7; France, 4; Australia, 2; Italy, 2; Spain, 2; Norway, 1; Morocco, 1; Tunisia, 1; United Kingdom, 1; and Israel—two U.S. citizens have dual citizenship with Israel.
U.S. Citizens on the Handala
Huwaida Arraf from Detroit, Michigan is a Palestinian who is a citizenship in both the U.S. and Israel. She was on several of the small boats that actually got into Gaza in 2008. She was also on the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla on the boat named Challenger One. She is a human rights lawyer. She is a steering committee member of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition and U.S. Boats to Gaza.
Braedon Peluso from New York is a mariner with over a decade of experience at sea, much of it dedicated to activism in marine conservation and sea rescue organizations. In 2024, he was part of the Handala mission.
Frank Romano is a U.S.-French citizen from New York City and Paris. He is a human rights lawyer and filmmaker. He has been in the West Bank many times.
Robert Suberi is a U.S.-Israeli citizen from St. Louis, Missouri. He has been a crew member of Handala during two sailings in Northern Europe. He has done accompany work in the West Bank.
Chris Smalls from New Jersey is an American labor organizer known for his role in leading Amazon worker organization on Staten Island, New York. He is a cofounder and the former president of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) (2021-24).
Jacob Berger is a Jewish-American from Los Angeles. He is an actor and has done humanitarian work for Palestinians who have arrived in Cairo. He is active on social media.
Waad Aal Musa is an Al Jazeera journalist, news producer, and photographer, originally from Iraq, but now a U.S. citizen.
Other Participants on the Handala
Emma Fourreau is a member of European Parliament from France and also claims Sweden. She was a volunteer on the ship Sea Shepard.
Grabielle Cathala is a member of the French Parliament who worked as a humanitarian worker in Haiti and Congo.
Vigdis Bjorvand is a 70-year-old activist from Norway. A grandmother, she says she never wants her grandchild to say, “Grandma, you didn’t do anything.” She was on the Handala in 2023.
Antoinio La Piccirella is a mariner from Italy with worldwide activist experience.
Sergio Toribio Sanchez is a maritime mariner from Spain. He was also on the flotilla ship Madleen last month and filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government for involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the attack on the Madleen.
Ange Sahuquet is a maritime engineer from France who served on the activist boat Sea Shepard.
Santiago González Vallejo is a Spanish activist with the flotilla coalition partner Rumbo a Gaza.
Tan Safi from Australia has been a key part of the flotilla media team creating many Instagram posts for the various voyages since 2024.
Mohamed El Bakkali is an Al Jazeera journalist from Morocco.
Antonio Mazzeo is an award-winning journalist from Italy. In 2020, he was awarded the “Golden Dove for Peace” by the Archivio Disarmo in recognition “for having interpreted journalism and writing for years as a mission to defend human rights and denounce injustice.”
Robert Martin is a member of Australian Boats to Gaza and is a social media influencer.
Justine Kempf is a nurse from France who has worked with Doctors Without Borders in Congo and will be the medical person onboard.
Chloe Ludden recently resigned her position working with the United Nations in New York because of the Israeli genocide of Gaza and is from the U.K. and France.
Hatem Aouini is a longtime activist from Tunisia.
The ship has been in the Gaza Flotilla fleet since 2023 and made two Northern European educational community voyages before arriving in the Mediterranean in 2025.
Monitor the progress of the Handala voyage here.
Update on Other Flotilla Ships
The ship Conscience that was bombed by Israel in international waters off Malta in May 2025 is in Turkey. The international maritime community has still not investigated the bombing of a civilian ship in international waters.
The unarmed, civilian ship Madleen that was stolen from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla 110 nautical miles off Gaza in international waters is illegally seized and remains in Israel. The participants who were kidnapped, arrested, and taken against their wills to Israel are all home after having been imprisoned in Israel and deported.
We Will Not be Deterred by Sabotage Attempts
As stated in our Instagram post: “We will not be intimidated. We sail for the children of Gaza—against siege, starvation, and slaughter. We sail to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver lifesaving aid and hope. We call on the world to demand accountability and ensure safe passage for this civilian mission.”
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At Least 14 More Palestinians Killed at Aid Points as Israel Detains Humanitarian Volunteers
"The almost daily massacres of starving Palestinian families desperately seeking food denied to them by the Israeli-imposed campaign of intentional starvation are crimes against humanity," said one advocate.
Jun 09, 2025
As activists who had been headed for Gaza with humanitarian aid remained in Israeli custody Monday, Palestinian rights advocates condemned reports that the death toll at aid distribution points set up by a private Israel-backed company continued to grow.
The Associated Press reported that "Israeli forces and allied local gunmen" were behind gunfire that killed at least 14 Palestinians who were taken to local hospitals on Monday, and roughly 100 people were injured.
The people killed were the latest among a total of at least 127 Palestinians who have been killed as they've approached distribution points set up by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private group staffed by U.S. defense contractors and supported by the Israeli and U.S. governments—but rejected by the United Nations and groups that have long provided aid in Gaza, who say the GHF is not a neutral party and is endangering Palestinians by forcing them to walk several miles through their war-torn enclave to retrieve food boxes weighing 44 pounds each.
At Al Jazeera, Hind Khoudary reported that as Palestinians have approached the aid points in recent days, "the Israeli army starts opening fire, Israeli quadcopters hover above their heads, and Israeli tanks proceed to bear down on the aid seekers."
Among the people killed at a distribution point in Rafah near al-Mawasi was "a woman named Hanan who was solely responsible for feeding her kids and family," reported Khoudary.
"These distribution sites are in the middle of nowhere, where Israeli bulldozers destroyed residential homes," Khoudary added. "It's totally chaotic. Israeli forces have been firing live ammunition as well as tear gas canisters to disperse starving Palestinians."
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have previously admitted to opening fire on Palestinians at GHF sites, but have claimed "shots were directed near individual suspects who advanced toward the troops."
The AP reported that men from a local militia called the Popular Forces, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, opened fire at a distribution site in Khan Younis after the men tried to organize the crowd and people "pushed forward."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that his government has armed Abu Shabab's militia as part of an effort to undermine Hamas. Abu Shabab denied the claim. Aid workers have said the Popular Forces have long looted trucks carrying humanitarian relief—something Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of doing as it has entirely cut off aid to Gaza since March.
An eyewitness named Hussein Shamimi told the AP that his 14-year-old cousin was killed in the attack on Monday.
"There was an ambush," said Shamimi, "the Israelis from one side and Abu Shabab from another."
At least four people were shot in the neck, another witness told the outlet.
Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in the U.S., called for an "immediate end" to the U.S. government's "complicity" in Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians since October 2023, and in the attacks on people at GHF aid points.
"The almost daily massacres of starving Palestinian families desperately seeking food denied to them by the Israeli-imposed campaign of intentional starvation are crimes against humanity carried out with the complicity of our own government," said Awad. "Food and other humanitarian supplies must enter Gaza unimpeded, without Israel being allowed to use starvation as a weapon of war and a tool for ethnic cleansing."
Also in Khan Younis on Monday, a Palestinian child became the latest to die of malnutrition at the Children's and Maternity Hospital.
At least 58 children in Gaza have died of malnutrition since Israel began its total blockade of aid in early March.
Meanwhile, organizers with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported Monday they had been unable to contact 12 international activists and volunteers who were aboard the Madleen, bound for Gaza, for 19 hours.
The activists, including Swedish climate leader Greta Thunberg, had been sailing to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.
"These citizens were sailing peacefully under international law, in international waters, and Israel went and forcibly abducted them," Huwaida Arraf told Al Jazeera. "This was done, as Israel puts it, to 'maintain a maritime closure of Gaza'—which it has no authority to do."
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Israel's Seizure of Gaza Freedom Flotilla Called a 'Blatant Act of International Piracy'
"These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately."
Jun 09, 2025
Israeli forces early Monday boarded the Madleen, a United Kingdom-flagged vessel carrying humanitarian aid, and detained its crew members as they sought to deliver food, children's prosthetics, and other supplies to Gaza's besieged and starving population.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement that the Madleen was "unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food, and medical supplies—confiscated."
Huwaida Arraf, a human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organizer, said that "Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen" and argued that Israel's naval blockade violates the International Court of Justice's "binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza."
"These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately," said Arraf.
Heidi Matthews, an assistant professor of law at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Canada, echoed Arraf, writing on social media that "the world is watching Israel attack a civilian boat carrying no weapons—only humanitarian aid—flying a U.K. flag in international waters and carrying humanitarians of many nationalities."
"Israel has precisely zero authority to do so under any law," Matthews added.
"If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Monday derided the Madleen as a "selfie yacht" and said the vessel is "safely making its way to the shores of Israel" after the country's forces boarded the boat, which set sail from Sicily on June 1. The foreign ministry added that there are other "ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip"—but Israel's military has been tightly restricting the flow of food and other assistance, pushing the enclave toward famine.
Among the vessel's dozen passengers are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament.
"If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel," Thunberg said in a video posted online by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. "I urge all my friends, family, and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible."
SOS! the volunteers on 'Madleen' have been kidnapped by Israeli forces.
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish citizen.
Pressure their foreign ministries and help us keep them safe!
Web: https://t.co/uCGmx8sn8j
X : @SweMFA
FB : @SweMFA
IG : swedishmfa#AllEyesOnMadeleen pic.twitter.com/76Myrg2Bnz
— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) June 9, 2025
Zeteo's Prem Thakker reported that "before connection was lost, video from the vessel showed some form of white substance sprayed upon the vessel."
"Passengers reported the unknown liquid came from drones flying overhead, while the ship's radios began being jammed," Thakker wrote.
Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called Israel's seizure of the Madleen "a blatant act of international piracy and state terrorism."
"We call on governments—especially western governments funding Israel's genocide and Arab Muslim governments watching it happen—to show an iota of the courage demonstrated by those on the Madleen by using every tool at their disposal to force an end to the genocide," said Awad.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, wrote that "while Madleen must be released immediately, every Mediterranean port should send boats with aid, solidarity, and humanity to Gaza."
"Breaking the siege is a legal duty for states, and a moral imperative for all of us," Albanese added.
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'We're Not Scared': Freedom Flotilla Crew Approaches Gaza Despite New Israeli Threats
"Israel's Defense Minister has once again threatened unlawful force against civilians, attempting to justify violence with baseless smears," the crew members said. "We will not be intimidated."
Jun 08, 2025
As they drew nearer to Gaza on Sunday, the 12 crew members of the Freedom Flotilla vessel the Madleen remained undeterred in their mission to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, even as an Israeli official issued new threats.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on social media Sunday afternoon that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces "to act to prevent the Madleen hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza—and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end."
"To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back—because you will not reach Gaza," Katz said, referring to Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, one of the 12 people on board. "Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations—at sea, in the air, and on land."
"What we face is nothing compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure."
The crew members, however, said they would not turn back and that they hoped to reach Gaza by Monday.
"Israel's Defense Minister has once again threatened unlawful force against civilians, attempting to justify violence with baseless smears," the group posted on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Instagram. "We will not be intimidated."
"The Madleen is a peaceful civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing in international waters with humanitarian aid and human rights defenders. This mission is independent, guided only by conscience and solidarity with Gaza," the crew members wrote.
Posting at around 7:00 p.m. local time, they added that they were around 160 nautical miles from Gaza and had experienced brief signal jamming, but that their tracker was currently working again.
"We call on world governments to demand Israel stand down. It has no right to obstruct our mission or enforce its illegal and brutal blockade," they said.
Individual crew members also spoke out.
Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan said on social media that she expected Israel to illegally detain the crew members within 24 hours.
"When we are no longer able to communicate with you, I'm counting on you to continue the mobilization that has been so valuable to us throughout this journey," she said.
Hassen further told Al Jazeera that the crew would "stay mobilized until the last minute until Israel cuts the internet and networks."
"We're not scared of them," German human rights activist and crew member Yasemin Acar said, as Al Jazeera reported. "The message they have been sending us—that we cannot come closer—is not making us step back."
Brazilian activist and crew member Thiago Avila told Al Jazeera that the crew had observed drones flying overhead.
"We know Israeli forces are prepared to confront us with weapons, but we are not afraid," he said, adding, "What we face is nothing compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure."
Turkish crew member Huseyin Suayb, meanwhile, told Al Jazeera that spirits remained high.
"We are still heading toward Gaza, there is very little distance left. These are critical hours. God willing, we will be in Gaza tomorrow, as long as we do not face any obstruction," he said.
Al Jazeera correspondent Omar Faiad, also on board the Madleen, said the crew members were trying to prepare themselves for any scenario. There is reason for concern, as Israel has a history of attacking other ships that have attempted to reach Gaza to protest the blockade that Israel and Egypt have enforced around the strip since Hamas assumed control there in 2007.
In 2010, Israeli commandos killed nine activists on board the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara, and a 10th later died from sustained injuries. In May, drones damaged the Freedom Flotilla ship the Conscience as it sat in international waters off Malta, with activists attributing the attacks to Israel.
"They may attack us again, threaten us, or resort to personal violence. They may target our lives," Suayb told Al Jazeera. "But as you know, we've experienced this before. Even the slightest reflex shown in self-defence is labelled as a weapon, as terrorism. We are completely peaceful activists. Not a single one of us knows how to fight or use a weapon. We do not pose any kind of threat."
The Madleen set sail from Sicily on June 1, in protest not only of the long-standing blockade against Gaza but also the Israeli bombardment and restrictions of humanitarian aid into the strip since October 2023, which several human rights experts and organizations consider a genocide. Due to a total blockade of aid between March and May, aid organizations warn that Palestinians in Gaza are in danger of starvation, and the Madleen carries much-needed goods such as flour, rice, and baby formula.
"The Flotilla Giants are approaching Gaza, scheduled to arrive tomorrow," United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese wrote on social media Sunday afternoon. "It is not only the aid, it is the HUMANITY THEY CARRY. For all of us. May Israel not endanger them as with the previous flotilla. MAY THIS BE THE TIME ISRAEL LAYS DOWN THE GENOCIDAL MACHINERY."
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The Next 48-140 Hours Are Critical for the Movement to End the Gaza Genocide
Within days, the Gaza Flotilla Sailboat with 12 onboard will reach the “Danger Zone.” How will the world respond?
Jun 07, 2025
Within 48 hours, the Israeli military will have killed hundreds more Palestinians in Gaza who are being starved to death, many killed this week as they were enticed by food into killing zones.
Within 48 hours, more Palestinian children will die from U.S. bombs dropped from Israeli drones and jets.
Within 48 hours, nations of the world will have again and again refused to take any concrete measures to force the government of Israel to stop the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Gaza Flotilla Sailboat Madleen
Yet, also within 48 hours, a small sailboat named Madleen will arrive near Gaza. (Watch on the https://t.me/FFC_official_channel, follow on Flotilla Instagram, and watch progress on a map here or here.)
Within 48 hours, 12 brave souls in the Madleen—Flotilla Steering Committee members Thiago Avila, Brazil and Yasemin Acar, Germany; Rima Hassan, French-Palestinian member of European Parliament; Dr. Baptiste Andre, France; Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Omar Faiad, France; Pascal Maurieras, France; Reva Viard, France; Yanis Mhamdi, France; Suayb Ordu, Turkiye; Sergio Toribio, Spain; Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate activist; and Marco van Rennes, The Netherlands—will carry the solidarity of citizens of the world to those in Gaza and the West Bank for the ending of the genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Within 48 hours, the 12 volunteers on the Madleen will most probably be stopped in international waters, arrested, taken against their wills to a place they do not want to go, imprisoned, and then deported… from Israel.
Only we the citizens can force our governments to isolate, boycott, and sanction the genocidal Israeli government to make them stop.
Within 48 hours, the 12 will be interrogated, possibly beaten and tasered, but probably treated much better than Palestinians in the prison who are stripped, humiliated, and starved.
Within 60 hours, the diplomatic missions of the 12, consular officers of the embassies of France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Turkiye, Sweden, and the Netherlands will arrive at the prison to talk with the citizens of their country.
Within 60 hours, brave lawyers accredited in Israel who associated with the Freedom Flotilla will arrive to advise the 12.
Within 60 hours, Israelis horrified at the genocidal actions of their government will protest in the cities of Israel.
Within 72-96 hours, an Israeli court will declare that the 12 on the Madleen entered Israel illegally and were a threat to the national security of Israel and will deport the 12.
Within 100-120 hours, the 12 will arrive at their home countries, hopefully to a warm, warm welcome to those who oppose the genocide of Gaza.
Within 120-140 hours, the Global March to Gaza will bring 3,000 persons from 35 countries by air to Egypt to demand food trucks be allowed into Gaza.
Within 120-140 hours, the Overland Convoy to Break the Siege on Gaza—Sumud will bring 7,000 persons by land to Egypt to demand an end to the genocide.
Within 700 days, within 900 days the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza will end?
Or will it?
Only we the citizens can force our governments to isolate, boycott, and sanction the genocidal Israeli government to make them stop killing the last Palestinians and destroying the last of the remains of the Palestinian presence in Gaza.
Keep pushing, protesting, sailing.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla will sail until the Israeli blockade and genocide of Gaza ends and Palestine is Free.
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Ominous Warning From Israel as Freedom Flotilla Approaches Gaza
"We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity," said Greta Thunberg.
Jun 04, 2025
Palestinian rights advocates aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla issued a distress signal Wednesday, saying drones "repeatedly" hovered over the ship as it carried humanitarian aid for starving people in Gaza.
The distress call from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition came as a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces suggested the IDF may confront the vessel, called the Madleen, as it approaches Gaza with food, baby formula, and medicines.
"For this case as well, we are prepared," said Brigadier General Effie Edfrin. "We have gained experience in recent years."
The ominous remark brought to mind the IDF's killing of nine Turkish people who were on a flotilla headed for Gaza in 2010, aiming to break Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid in the enclave.
Another boat, the Conscience, was struck by drones in early May.
The Madleen had traveled 381 nautical miles since leaving Sicily over the weekend, and has drawn international attention—including a threat from U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.)—partially because climate activist Greta Thunberg is aboard the vessel.
"No matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world."
"We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity," Thunberg told reporters before departing. "No matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world."
Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid in March just before ending a temporary cease-fire; it began letting in a tiny amount of relief in May under international pressure—but only a fraction of the 500 aid trucks that entered the enclave on a daily basis have been permitted into Gaza in recent weeks.
In the past week, the IDF has also killed dozens of Palestinians and injured hundreds as they approached food distribution hubs set up by the Israel- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
The 80-day total blockade pushed the entire population of Gaza closer to famine, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
United Nations experts on Monday called on Israel not to interfere with the Madleen.
"Aid is desperately needed for the people of Gaza to forestall annihilation, and this initiative is a symbolic and powerful effort to deliver it. Israel should remember that the world is watching closely and refrain from any act of hostility against the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and its passengers," the experts said.
"The people of Gaza have the right to receive aid through their own territorial waters even under occupation, and the coalition ship has the right to free passage in international waters to reach the people of Gaza," they added. “Israel must not interfere with its freedom of navigation, long recognized under international law."
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Freedom Flotilla Sets Sail for Gaza Carrying Aid and Demands: 'End the Blockade. End the Genocide'
"No matter how dangerous this mission is, it's nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide," said climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is aboard the Madleen.
Jun 02, 2025
A dozen Palestine defenders including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and a French lawmaker set sail from Sicily on Sunday aboard a boat carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, many of whom are starving amid Israel's ongoing U.S.-backed genocidal assault and siege and decadeslong naval blockade of the coastal enclave.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said it launched the sailboat Madleen—named after Gaza's first and only known fisherwoman—from Catania, Italy at 4:00 pm local time Sunday "in direct defiance of Israel's illegal and genocidal blockade."
"Madleen symbolizes the unyielding spirit of Palestinian resilience and the growing global resistance to Israel's use of collective punishment and deliberate starvation policies," FFC said in a statement Sunday. "The ship is carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women's sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children's prosthetics."
The international volunteers aboard Madleen include Thunberg, French Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan, German refugee advocate and FFC steering committee member Yasemin Acar, Brazilian FFC steering committee member Thiago Ávila, Al Jazeera reporter Omar Fayad, French doctor Baptiste Andre, French journalist Yanis M'Hamdi, Turkish engineer Şuayb Ordu, and crew members Mark Van Rennes, Reva Seifert Viard, Pascal Maurieras, and Sergio Toribio.
"I am aboard
Madleen because silence is not neutrality—it is complicity," said Hassan, who is banned from entering Israel due to her outspoken support for Palestinian rights. "The Palestinian people in Gaza are being starved and slaughtered, and the world watches. This ship is not just carrying aid, it is carrying a demand: End the blockade. End the genocide."
Thunberg said that "we are seeing a systematic starvation of 2 million people. The world cannot be silent bystanders, Every single one of us has a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight for a free Palestine."
The Madleen's launch came a month after the Conscience, another FCC aid vessel traveling in international waters off Malta, was attacked twice, presumably by Israeli forces. No one was harmed in what FFC said was a drone strike on the ship. However, the activists were forced to abort their humanitarian mission. Israel has not commented on the incident.
Madleen also set sail nearly 15 years to the day after Israeli forces raided a Gaza Freedom Flotilla convoy carrying humanitarian aid to the besieged people of Gaza. The attack—which also came in international waters—left nine people including Turkish-American teenager Furkan Doğan dead.
FFC said Sunday that the "unarmed and nonviolent" mission "poses no threat" and "sails in full accordance with international law. Any attack or interference will be a deliberate, unlawful assault on civilians."
Those aboard the Madleen said they were aware of the dangers they faced. Israel has killed numerous Western activists and journalists who document its human rights violations over the years, and just last month Israeli troops opened fire on a group of international diplomats visiting the illegally occupied West Bank two days after three involved countries issued an ultimatum to stop annihilating Gaza.
"We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying," a tearful Thunberg said during a Sunday press conference. "Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity."
"And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide," she added.
Activist Greta Thunberg says silence is more dangerous than sailing to Gaza, as she boarded a vessel that will try to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla had to abandon its last attempt on May 2 when it was bombed. pic.twitter.com/ieecZ8ps0E
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 1, 2025
Some Israelis and their supporters took to social media to wish harm upon the activists. In the United States, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) alluded to past Israeli attacks on Gaza aid flotillas in a social media post saying, "Hope Greta and her friends can swim!"
Israel strongly refutes allegations that it is committing genocide in Gaza. South Africa has filed, and dozens of nations support, a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The International Criminal Court, also located in the Dutch city, has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, his former defense minister, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination and starvation as a weapon of war, in Gaza.
Officials in Gaza say that more than 192,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured since Israel launched its assault and siege following the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, a figure that includes at least 14,000 people who are missing and presumed dead and buried beneath rubble and hundreds of mostly children who have died from acute malnutrition and lack of medical care.
Around 2 million Gazans have also been forcibly displaced, often multiple times, amid Israel's campaign to starve, conquer, indefinitely occupy, ethnically cleanse, and possibly recolonize the coastal strip.
Each side accuses the other of thwarting cease-fire efforts. On Saturday, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff rejected what he called Hamas' "totally unacceptable" proposal for a truce in which 10 living and 18 dead Israeli hostages would be exchanged for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy told Democracy Now! on Monday that a cease-fire proposal mediated by Witkoff is "a bad deal for the Palestinians that will allow Israel to continue its ethnic cleansing of Gaza" and "walks back the commitment for a permanent cease-fire, Israeli withdrawal, and allowing in of humanitarian aid."
Critics accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war in order to delay his own criminal corruption trial.
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