The whole world is watching the Madleen's journey to Gaza on social media

The National

4 hours ago

But it's now 2025, and the whole world is watching as the Madleen continues on its way to Gaza – and while it is barely on the running lists of broadcasters, it is flooding the social media pages of millions of people on Instagram, TikTok and X.
The 12 people on board the vessel, members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, are hoping to deliver much-needed aid and break Israel's humanitarian blockade on Gaza.
But Israel is trying to stop them. Just this afternoon, Israel's defence minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to intercept the vessel before it can reach Gaza.
With less than 24 hours to go until the ship is expected to reach its destination, it has never been more important for the international community to bear witness.
And thanks to social media, the efforts of the group – and Israel's efforts to prevent them – cannot be ignored.
READ MORE: LIVE: Latest updates as Freedom Flotilla nears Gaza
Take the presence of climate activist Greta Thunberg, using her fame to the crew's advantage and hoping to keep the eyes of the Western media, who are usually keen to criticise her every move, on the ship to guarantee it's safety.
And, we are seeing the journey of the Madleen in real time.
The ship's tracker is available online and can pinpoint exactly where it is at any given moment. This is vital in ensuring accountability for any attacks or attempts to intercept the vessel.
At least, we could see the tracker until earlier today, when it lost signal for around an hour and displayed the ship's coordinates as being in Jordan.
The group later said that the issue was due to 'signal jamming', and they set up a new tracker which is currently working as it should. The group remain on course, undeterred, even though an attack may be imminent.
As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said: 'The tracker is not simply a navigation tool; it is a form of protection'.
The Madleen's journey is visible to all, making it harder for any interceptions to go ignored or unchallenged.
The 12 individuals on board – which also includes French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan – have also utilised social media to ensure that their journey is broadcast to the entire world.
READ MORE: Freedom Flotilla urges UK Government to 'protect' ship from Israel as it nears Gaza
When drones began to hover above the ship, we knew about it. When the ship had to divert its course to a mayday call, we could track its movements as it happened. Constant updates, tweets and livestreams are shared on social media, ensuring that everything can be recorded and remembered.
One short clip shows an activist walking across the deck of the ship, a Palestinian flag waving in the wind, a bright blue sea in front of her.
It's activism in a social media age. Using the tactics of influencers who are usually trying to sell sponsored products to their masses of followers, but to shine light on a genocide and their brave attempt to break the Gaza siege.
By broadcasting the intimidation the Madleen is experiencing, the crew is not seeking to undermine the brutal bombardment, starvation and displacement Palestinians are experiencing at the hands of Israel.
As Thunberg shared recently on her own social media: "Keep all eyes on deck but above all, all eyes on Palestine and all oppressed people."
The Madleen's journey so far demonstrates the aggression humanitarian organisations face when trying to deliver aid in Gaza.
When Israel has banned foreign press from entering the enclave, and it continues to bomb the few Palestinian journalists who remain, this is an important insight that ensures accountability and transparency.
We are witnessing a crucial moment in Israel's assault on Gaza – one that could have huge international implications if the Madleen is subject to attack.
The next 24 hours will decide everything. And no matter what happens, we will be watching.
More likely than not, it will be through our phones and devices.