From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Protest ship headed for Gaza detours to pick up Sudanese migrants
A high-profile activist mission sailing to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade on the territory has taken a detour to pick up Sudanese migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, according to a person on board the ship.
Activist Rima Hassan reports that the Madleen changed tack to the south to rescue a boat carrying migrants off the Libyan coast. They reached the ship just as Libya’s coast guard overtook the dinghy, but four people jumped into the water and were picked up by the so-called Freedom Flotilla.
“We were able to rescue them, they are with us on the boat,” she writes.
— Rima Hassan (@RimaHas) June 5, 2025
The ship, which has earned international attention thanks to its inclusion of climate protest leader Greta Thunberg, is not expected to reach Gazan waters for several days. It is unclear whether it now intends to bring the four Sudanese migrants along for the ride to Gaza or if it will now take a further detour to Europe.
The Times of Israel Community.