Freedom Flotilla Madleen ship enters Egypt waters, Gaza next en route
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Greta Thunberg and a group of international activists aboard the aid ship Madleen are nearing the Egyptian coast on a mission to break "Israel's" blockade on Gaza.
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Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag after boarding the Madleen boat and before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, on Sunday, June 1, 2025 (AP)
The Madleen, a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and a delegation of high-profile figures, including renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg, has entered Egyptian waters and is steadily approaching the besieged Palestinian territory.
The vessel is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a network of international civil society groups that has launched multiple missions to Gaza over the past 15 years. This latest voyage, which departed Sicily on June 1, is the first since "Israel" launched its current war on Gaza following the events of October 7, 2023. The flotilla seeks to deliver urgently needed supplies to Palestinians and to confront what the coalition has called "Israel's illegal, decades-long blockade and ongoing genocide."
"We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast," said German human rights activist Yasemin Acar in a statement to AFP. "We are all good," she added.
The Madleen is transporting vital humanitarian goods: baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, feminine hygiene products, medical kits, water desalination tools, crutches, and children's prosthetics. These supplies are destined for Gaza's civilian population, which continues to suffer under "Israel's" blockade, with aid deliveries frequently obstructed, attacked, or delayed, worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Defiant voyage
According to the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, the boat has officially entered Egyptian waters and remains in close contact with international legal and human rights institutions to monitor its safety. The group warned that any Israeli move to intercept the ship would constitute "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law."
"We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying," Thunberg said during a press conference prior to departure. "Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity," she continued. "And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide."
The Israeli military has indicated that it will not allow the ship to dock in Gaza, claiming it is "prepared and ready for a wide range of scenarios" to enforce what it calls a "maritime security blockade."
Read more: 'Israel' threatens to block Gaza-bound aid flotilla
Global solidarity
The presence of French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan on board has also drawn attention. Hassan, of Palestinian origin, was barred from entry into occupied Palestine earlier this year for her support of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement. Her vocal support for Palestine and criticism of Israeli policies have made her a target of right-wing media and political attacks.
Public support for the mission has been visible and vocal. Actor Liam Cunningham, of Game of Thrones fame, joined the crowd in Catania to see the ship off. "Governments are not standing up for what their legal obligations are under international law, so it takes a disparate group like this to try and achieve it," Cunningham said in a video posted by the flotilla. "Anybody who was fearful of using the word genocide, that's gone now."
At a concert in Ireland, US rapper Macklemore screened a video of Thunberg on the flotilla calling on people worldwide to stand against the "genocide" and to "free Palestine".
Siege breakers
This voyage follows a pattern of prior attempts to reach Gaza by sea, including the infamous 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, in which Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish aid ship in international waters, killing nine activists. More recently, another FFC vessel, the Conscience, was reportedly hit by two drone strikes in May just outside Malta's territorial waters. The group accused "Israel" of being behind the attack, an allegation "Israel" has neither confirmed nor denied. Thunberg had originally planned to be on the Conscience but changed vessels before departure.
If unimpeded, the Madleen is expected to reach the Gaza coastline within 48 hours. In a statement posted Friday on X, the International Committee to Break the Siege stressed the mission's urgency, "We're on our way to Gaza — expected to arrive in about 48 hours. These next hours are critical. Your voice is our protection. Let apartheid Israel know: the world is watching. Your silence gives them cover. Don't stay silent."
"We're on our way to break the siege and create a people's humanitarian corridor."
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 7, 2025
Sky News speaks to activist Thiago Avila who is onboard a ship, alongside Greta Thunberg, carrying aid to Gaza
https://t.co/4zlc0aBaZB
📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/Rb6Ykxsr1Y
Despite military threats, the Madleen continues its journey off Egypt's coast, representing more than just a shipment of supplies. It is a moral and political statement against the machinery of siege, war, and impunity, a message that global silence is complicity, and that ordinary people are willing to risk their lives to defend the rights of Palestinians.
