Greta Thunberg sets sail with Gaza flotilla that aims to break Israeli naval blockade
Activists depart from southern Italy with ‘symbolic’ humanitarian aid; Israel still mum on allegations it bombed vessel near Malta last month
An international flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham, set sail Sunday from the southern Italian port of Catania, aiming to reach the Gaza Strip by sea in defiance of Israel’s naval blockade.
The boat, named Madleen, is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a nonprofit group that has long sought to challenge Israeli control of maritime access to Gaza. Organizers say the mission is “not charity,” but a form of nonviolent protest against what they described as “Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes.”
Thunberg, who rose to global prominence as a teenage environmental activist, broke down in tears during a press conference ahead of the departure.
“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,” she said. “No matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the lives being genocized [sic].”
Israel strongly denies accusations of “genocide,” calling them a modern-day blood libel and part of a broader campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state. Officials maintain that the naval blockade, in place since 2007, is a necessary security measure to prevent weapons smuggling to Hamas, the terror group that rules Gaza.
The latest voyage comes after a failed flotilla attempt in June, when another FFC vessel, the Conscience, was struck by two drones in international waters near Malta. While the group accused Israel of being behind the attack, Jerusalem has not publicly commented on the incident.
The Madleen is carrying what FFC described as “limited… though symbolic” barrels of aid. Among the dozen international volunteers aboard are French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who has been barred from entering Israel, and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila.
The activists estimate the journey will take about a week, unless intercepted. Israel has previously halted similar flotillas attempting to breach its naval blockade.
The initiative comes amid reports of dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Nearly 19 months into Israel’s war against Hamas, triggered by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, large swathes of the territory lie in ruins, and the United Nations has warned of imminent famine if access to aid remains constrained.
Last week, Israel agreed to partially ease its blockade, allowing limited aid deliveries under the supervision of the UN. A separate aid mechanism backed by Israel and the United States — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — has been rejected by major humanitarian groups, who argue its distribution model compromises neutrality and forces population displacement.
Speaking Sunday, Avila framed the flotilla as part of a larger international push to pressure Israel.
“We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that’s part of a broader strategy of mobilizations that will also attempt to break the siege by land,” he said, referencing the upcoming “Global March to Gaza,” a protest initiative set to reach the Rafah crossing from Egypt in mid-June.
The Israeli government says its military campaign in Gaza is aimed solely at dismantling Hamas and recovering the remaining 58 hostages taken during the October 7 assault, which killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Hamas is believed to still be holding 20 of the hostages alive.
In response to the attack, Israel launched an intensive military operation that Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, though the IDF says a significant number of those killed are Hamas fighters.
As of Sunday evening, Israeli officials had not publicly addressed the latest flotilla’s departure.
The Times of Israel Community.