Vessel of Hope; The Madleen risks all to break the Gaza blockade

According to reports, the Madleen, carrying a small but symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, is just hours away from Gaza’s coast. Though its cargo is limited, it represents a significant protest against the ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The Madleen is expected to reach the Gaza coast on Monday morning.

What is the Madleen?

The Madleen, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), carries a crew of 12, including Greta Thunberg, a human rights activist, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The ship is named after the first and only female fisherman in Gaza, Madleen. On June 1, 2025, just one month after an Israeli drone attack on another aid ship named Conscience, the Madleen began its journey from the shores of Malta.

The ship was launched in response to the Israeli regime’s complete blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza since March 2, 2025, which has led to the deaths of dozens of children due to starvation. According to aid groups, over 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population faces severe food shortages.

The ship’s location is being tracked live by Forensic Architecture using a Garmin live tracker onboard, which indicates that the Madleen is nearing Gaza.

Other passengers on the Madleen include Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament; Shuaib Ordu, a Turkish activist; Tiago Avila, a Brazilian journalist and socio-political activist and member of the Freedom Flotilla Committee; Rowa Fiard, a French environmental activist; Baptiste André, a French doctor; Pascal Mauriéras, a veteran French activist with the Freedom Flotilla; Sergio Toribio, a member of Sea Shepherd from Spain; Marc van Rijn, a 26-year-old Dutch marine engineering student; Omar Fayyad, a journalist and broadcaster for Al Jazeera; Younes Mohammadi, a French journalist; and Yasmin Akkar, a human rights activist and member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

The Freedom for Palestine Committee emphasized that all volunteers and crew members of the Madleen have been trained in non-violence and are engaging in a peaceful resistance against the Israeli regime’s actions in Gaza, without weapons.

According to a press statement by the Freedom for Palestine Committee, the Madleen carries urgently needed supplies for Gaza’s population, including medical supplies, flour, rice, infant formula, diapers, women’s hygiene products, water desalination kits, crutches, and children’s prosthetics.

Why did the Madleen set sail?

The Madleen’s journey began amid widespread criticism of the Israeli regime’s weaponization of hunger against Gaza’s population. One in five Palestinians in Gaza faces starvation due to the three-month-long complete blockade of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli regime.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 1.95 million people (93% of the region’s population) face severe food shortages.

The report states that Israel’s continued blockade will likely lead to further mass displacement within Gaza, as essential survival data-x-items run out. Despite the establishment last month of a U.S.-backed aid distribution organization called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to deliver aid to Gaza, its new distribution center descended into chaos hours after opening on May 27, 2025, and faced further controversy following deadly shootings at aid distribution centers.

The Israeli regime has been accused of luring Palestinians to these centers and massacring hundreds.

Threats to the Madleen

Last night, the Madleen ’s passengers issued a statement declaring that the civilian vessel, sailing under the British flag toward Gaza, is protected by international maritime law.

The statement noted: “As a British-flagged vessel, the Madleen falls under the jurisdiction and responsibility of the British government, which has a legal duty to defend the Madleen and its civilian passengers and prevent unlawful interference, including any threats or use of force by foreign powers such as Israel.”

The coalition called on the British government to warn the Israeli regime that any action against the Madleen is unacceptable and illegal and to take measures to protect the rights and safety of the ship’s passengers.

The group also urged the British government to fulfill its legal obligations to prevent genocide, reject the legitimacy of the Israeli blockade, and actively support efforts to deliver humanitarian aid and uphold international law.

On June 3, 2025, the Madleen’s passengers observed a drone flying overhead, later identified as a surveillance drone used as part of broader military and intelligence cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and the Israeli regime.

What is the Freedom Flotilla Coalition?

Founded in 2010 to protest the Israeli blockade of Gaza after two successful independent trips reached Gaza in 2008, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition operates a small fleet of ships attempting to deliver aid and supplies to Gaza by sea, though they have rarely succeeded.

Last month, the Israeli regime targeted another aid ship, Conscience, with a drone attack in Malta’s international waters while it was delivering aid to Gaza amid the genocidal blockade.

Fifteen years ago, Israeli commandos carried out a deadly attack on the Mavi Marmara, the largest ship in an aid flotilla carrying Turkish activists. The Mavi Marmara, carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid, set sail from Istanbul to break the Gaza blockade. The Israeli attack on May 31, 2010, killed nine humanitarian volunteers.

Other coalition efforts in recent years have been stopped, with passengers detained and deported. The Madleen is the 36th vessel organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

International support for the Madleen

Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament aboard the Madleen, published an open letter on X, signed by over 200 European Parliament members. The letter calls for guarantees of the safety of the Madleen’s passengers, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and emphasizes the need to secure the ship’s safe arrival in Gaza and issue permits for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid.

Canadian Prime Minister Marc Carney also called for support for the Madleen and urgent action to ensure the safety of the Freedom Flotilla.

Israel prepares to block Madleen’s entry to Gaza

Israeli media reported that the regime is preparing to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza. According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli Navy is monitoring the ship’s path and plans to seize it if it continues toward Gaza.

The newspaper also claimed that the British government is monitoring the situation and has reportedly asked Israel to ensure the safety of the Madleen and its passengers.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli authorities have vowed not to allow the Madleen to dock, with the navy preparing to prevent its arrival and, if necessary, detain its passengers. The outlet added that military officials stated the ship would be warned not to enter the area, and if it defies orders, the Israeli military may seize the vessel, with protesters then transferred to Ashdod port and deported