Greta's is not the first Freedom Flotilla- all previous attempts to break Israel's siege of Gaza
Greta Thunberg has been deported from Israel after trying to bring aid to Gaza with 11 other activists- but their Flotilla wasn't the first.
All eyes have been on Greta Thunberg and the 11 other crew members aboard the Madleen- a boat attempting to bring aid and supplies to Gaza, which remains besieged by Israel. Before reaching Gaza, the boat, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was intercepted and the crew were 'kidnapped' by Israeli forces on international waters, in a violation of international law.
It has been reported today, Tuesday, June 10 that Greta has been deported from Israel back to her home country of Sweden via Paris, and the Madleen was not allowed to deliver the aid it was carrying to Gaza. Israel has been consistently blocking aid and goods from entering the Strip, including a total blockade that lasted two and a half months, which Amnesty described as 'genocide in action'.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, one in five Palestinians in Gaza is facing starvation because of Israel's blockade, which was partially eased last month.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: 'We do not need to wait for a declaration of famine in Gaza to know that people are already starving, sick and dying, while food and medicines are minutes away across the border."
Greta Thunberg and the crew on the Madleen, which included Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan and Al Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad, were on board just one of a series of flotillas attempting to break Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip.
Few have been successful, while most have been blocked or even bombed by Israel before reaching the shores of Gaza.
Previous Freedom Flotillas that attempted to break Israel's siege on Gaza
Many Freedom Flotilla vessels have attempted to break the siege of Gaza, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.
Back in 2008, two boats from the Free Gaza Movement were successful in reaching the Strip in the first break of Israel's naval blockade.
The movement went on to launch 31 boats between 2008 and 2016, five of which reached Gaza despite heavy Israeli restrictions.
However, since 2010, all other flotillas attempting to reach Gaza have been intercepted or attacked by Israel in international waters.
2010 – Gaza Freedom Flotilla
In 2010, the Mavi Marmara was raided by Israeli forces in international waters, killing 10 activists and injuring dozens.
The ship was carrying humanitarian aid and more than 600 passengers, and was run by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, a Turkish NGO.
The incident severely strained Israel-Turkiye relations and caused global outrage towards Israel for violating international law, according to Al Jazeera.
Israel apologised in 2013 for 'operational mistakes' in the raid, and a compensation deal is still being negotiated between the two countries.
2011 – Freedom Flotilla II
As a continuation of the 2010 mission, Freedom Flotilla II was launched in 2011, aiming to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
This flotilla involved more than 300 participants from around the world and was set to sail on 10 ships.
However, most boats did not depart due to intense diplomatic pressure from Israel and reports of ships being sabotaged, and only one vessel, the Dignite-Al Karama, came close to reaching Gaza.
The 17-passenger French ship was intercepted by Israel, and the activists were detained for questioning and later deported.
2015 – Freedom Flotilla III
The third major attempt by international activists to reach Gaza was the Freedom Flotilla III, launched in 2015.
The mission included several vessels, and was led by a Swedish-flagged ship named Marianne of Gothenburg.
The Marianne was intercepted by Israel about 100 miles off the Gaza coast, again in international waters, on June 29, 2015.
Israeli forces boarded the ship and diverted it to the city of Ashdod. The crew was detained and later deported, with some members released after as long as six days.
2018 – Just Future for Palestine
The Just Future for Palestine Flotilla- also known as the 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla- included two main vessels, Al Awda (The Return) and Freedom, along with two support yachts, Mairead and Falestine.
On July 29 and August 3, 2018, both Al Awda and Freedom were intercepted and seized by the Israeli navy in international waters.
All on board were arrested, with some reporting being tasered, assaulted, or beaten by Israeli forces.
The majority of the crew were held in detention, before being deported to their countries.
2025 – Break the Siege 'Conscience'
While preparing to sail to Gaza on May 2 of this year, the Conscience, which carried a crew of 30 Turkish and Azeri activists, was struck twice by armed drones, just 14 miles off the coast of Malta.
The attack triggered a fire and caused a significant breach in the hull, and four people sustained minor injuries including burns and lacerations.
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