Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Gaza Government Media Office: Starved citizens are tempted to head to American-Israeli centers and then are deliberately shot
Gaza Government Media Office: The toll at US-Israeli aid distribution centers is as follows: 110 martyred, 583 wounded, and 9 missing
Gaza Government Media Office: 8 starved civilians were killed and 61 others were injured by the gunfire of Israeli occupation forces and an American security company in Rafah
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Three martyrs, injured in Israeli drone strike on phone charging station west of Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Four martyrs, dozens of injured as IOF open fire on civilians near GHF facility west of Rafah, southern Gaza.
Lebanese Army: This may push Army to freeze cooperation with committee regarding investigating facilities.
Lebanese Army: Enemy's continued violations of agreement and its refusal to respond with implementation committee weakens committee, Army's role.
Lebanese Army: A number of patrols also headed to locations under threat to investigate them, despite enemy's refusal of proposal.
Lebanese Army: As soon as enemy announced its threats, Army began coordination with ceasefire committee to stop attack.
Lebanese Army: Aggressions took place on eve of holidays, in clear atttempt by enemy to disrupt recovery of our nation and positive atmosphere.

'Israel' threatens to block Gaza-bound aid flotilla

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Israeli media
  • 5 Jun 2025 06:04
  • 5 Shares
3 Min Read

"Israel" signals it will prevent the Madleen, a humanitarian vessel carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists, from reaching Gaza.

Listen
  • x
  • 'Israel' threatens to block Gaza-bound aid flotilla
    Activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition board the Madleen boat, ahead of setting sail for Gaza, Palestine, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025. (AP)

Israeli media outlets reported on Thursday that the country's security establishment has decided to prevent the Madleen, a humanitarian aid ship operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, from reaching or docking off the coast of Gaza.

The vessel, which departed from Italy, is carrying 12 international pro-Palestine activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and actor Liam Cunningham. According to the Israeli broadcasting corporation Kan, the Madleen is currently near Greek waters and is expected to arrive in the eastern Mediterranean within four to five days.

Although Israeli security officials initially considered allowing the ship to dock, citing no direct security threat, they reportedly reversed the decision to avoid setting a precedent or breaching the longstanding Israeli naval blockade on Gaza.

Military preparations and surveillance underway

Israeli outlet Walla, citing military sources, said the Israeli military has not made a final decision on how it will respond but confirmed that surveillance drones are monitoring the vessel’s movement. Preparations are reportedly in place to answer with naval forces and security units in the area.

According to those sources, "Israel" plans to issue a direct warning to the Madleen's crew not to enter restricted waters. In a more aggressive scenario, elite naval commando unit Shayetet 13 and missile boat teams are preparing for the possibility of boarding the ship and detaining those on board.

Related News

17 Palestinians killed since dawn in Israeli bombing of Gaza

Israeli soldiers injured in Khan Younis booby-trapped building

The Israeli Security Cabinet, led by Defense Minister Israel Katz, is expected to meet on Thursday to determine the official course of action.

Read more: Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla sets sail from Sicily protesting blockade

Freedom Flotilla Coalition: Defiance of an illegal blockade

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which announced the Madleen's departure from Catania, Italy, on Sunday, said the mission aims to deliver symbolic quantities of humanitarian aid to Gaza, alongside a message of nonviolent resistance.

“This is not only a humanitarian effort,” the group stated. “It is a direct, nonviolent challenge to the illegal blockade and Israel’s escalating war crimes.”

The Madleen is the second vessel in this year’s flotilla. In May, another ship from the coalition, the Conscience (Al-Dameer Al-'Alami), was attacked by armed drones in international waters near Malta. The group blamed "Israel" for the strike, which severely damaged the vessel but caused no casualties.

Read more: Drone strike targets Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship near Malta

A long record of flotilla confrontations

Over the past two decades, at least six major flotillas have attempted to reach Gaza in protest of the blockade. The most infamous incident occurred in May 2010, when Israeli forces boarded the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, killing 10 civilians in international waters as they tried to deliver aid.

The latest effort has reignited global attention on the blockade of Gaza, which human rights groups and UN experts consider a form of collective punishment.

Read more: Amnesty International condemns Gaza aid attack in Rafah

  • Gaza Strip
  • war on Gaza
  • Palestine
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation forces
  • Madleen
  • Israeli occupation
  • Gaza Freedom Flotilla
  • Gaza
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
A Palestinian woman mourns as she embraces the body of her daughter Mayar Abu Odeh, 8, who was killed in an Israeli army strike on Gaza. at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP)

French port workers block arms shipment to 'Israel' amid Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 4 Jun 2025
It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to recognise their assumption of government in Syria. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

How MI6 helped HTS seize Syria

  • Opinion
  • 31 May 2025
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP)

Boston Consulting Group withdraws from GHF

  • Palestine
  • 3 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Poll
Palestine

Sharp decline in international perception of 'Israel', Netanyahu: Poll

Ukrainian soldiers with the anti-drone KVS G-6, manufactured by Kvertus Technology.Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Facebook
US & Canada

Shift in US priorities: Drone fuzes reallocated from Kiev to CENTCOM

US Jews accuse Trump of antisemitism despite his pro-'Israel' stance
US & Canada

US Jews accuse Trump of antisemitism despite his pro-'Israel' stance

Former US President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Sept. 30, 2024 (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
US & Canada

Trump orders investigation into Biden’s autopen use, cognitive fitness

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS