Greta Thunberg and 11 activists embark on mission to Gaza amid blockade
Departing from Catania in southern Italy, their vessel, the Madleen, is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
The group's goal is to bring essential aid to Gaza and raise international awareness about what they describe as 'an unbearable humanitarian disaster.'
The journey is expected to take seven days to reach their destination — if they are not stopped.
This isn't Thunberg's first attempt to join such a mission. She was initially slated to participate in a similar effort in May, but the journey was disrupted when the vessel was allegedly attacked by drones in international waters, a strike the group blamed on Israel.
Israel maintains the blockade is necessary to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages taken during the 7 October attack.
With over 52,000 Palestinians killed and Gaza in ruins, critics accuse Israel of collective punishment. Israel insists it only targets militants.
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France 24
3 hours ago
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France 24
3 hours ago
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Media groups urge Israel to allow Gaza access for foreign journalists
Israel has blocked most foreign correspondents from independently accessing Gaza since it began its war there following the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack by militant group Hamas. An open letter shared by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders called the restrictions "a situation that is without precedent in modern warfare." Signees included AFP's global news director Phil Chetwynd, The Associated Press executive editor, Julie Pace, and the editor of Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Aluf Benn. The letter added that many Palestinian journalists -- whom news outlets have relied on to report from inside Gaza -- face a litany of threats. "Local journalists, those best positioned to tell the truth, face displacement and starvation," it said. "To date, nearly 200 journalists have been killed by the Israeli military. Many more have been injured and face constant threats to their lives for doing their jobs: bearing witness. "This is a direct attack on press freedom and the right to information." The letter added that it was a "pivotal moment" in Israel's war -- with renewed military actions and efforts to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza. This, it said, makes it "vital that Israel open Gaza's borders for international journalists to be able to report freely and that Israel abides by its international obligations to protect journalists as civilians." Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a separate statement that Israel must grant journalists access and allow them to work in Gaza "without fear for their lives." "When journalists are killed in such unprecedented numbers and independent international media is barred from entering, the world loses its ability to see clearly, to understand fully, and to respond effectively to what is happening," she said.
