The Gaza Freedom Flotilla set sail from Sicily on Sunday, aiming to challenge the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The vessel, named Madleen after a Palestinian fisher, carries prominent international figures including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, actor Liam Cunningham, and EU lawmaker Rima Hassan. Their participation has drawn global attention to the effort, which organisers describe as a peaceful mission to “break the siege.”
This departure follows a drone strike last month that disabled a previous vessel, Conscience, near Malta. The Madleen is now the latest attempt to reach the enclave by sea. It carries humanitarian aid and is equipped with a live-tracker
Greta Thunberg addressed the media before boarding: “The world cannot be silent bystanders. This silence and passivity that we are seeing from most of the world is deadly. We are seeing a systematic starvation of 2 million people. Every single one of us has a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight for a free Palestine.”
Rima Hassan, who has been denied entry into Israel over her vocal stance on Palestinian rights, also joins the voyage alongside other rights advocates.
The mission, according to its organisers, is both humanitarian and symbolic, intended to spotlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and put pressure on global leaders to intervene. While the flotilla’s fate remains uncertain, the passengers appear committed to drawing international focus on the blockade and its consequences.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ