Latest news with #FreedomFlotilla
Arab News
3 hours ago
- General
- Arab News
Israel army vows to ‘protect maritime space' as aid boat sails for Gaza
JERUSALEM: Israel's military said it was ready to 'protect' the country's maritime space on Tuesday, after a boat organized by an international activist coalition set sail for Gaza aiming to deliver aid. The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily on Sunday and is carrying around a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Israel has come under increasing international criticism over the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, where the United Nations warned in May that the entire population was at risk of famine. 'The (Israeli military) is prepared to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts — in the north, the south, the center and also in the maritime arena,' army spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said. 'The navy operates day and night to protect Israel's maritime space and borders at sea,' he added at a televised press conference. 'For this case as well, we are prepared,' he said in response to a question about the Freedom Flotilla vessel, declining to go into detail. 'We have gained experience in recent years, and we will act accordingly.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, launched in 2010, is a non-violent international movement supporting Palestinians, combining humanitarian aid with political protest against the blockade on Gaza. The 'Madleen' is a small sailboat reportedly carrying fruit juices, milk, rice, tinned food and protein bars. 'Together, we can open a people's sea corridor to Gaza,' the Freedom Flotilla Coalition wrote on X on Tuesday. In early May, a Freedom Flotilla ship called the 'Conscience' was damaged in international waters off Malta as it headed to Gaza, with the activists saying they suspected an Israeli drone attack. Israel recently eased a more than two-month blockade on the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, but the aid community has urged it to allow in more food, faster.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who's onboard the Madleen Gaza flotilla, and where has it reached so far?
The Madleen ship, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), is en route towards Gaza carrying humanitarian aid and human rights activists protesting against Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza. The vessel has set sail in response to Israel's total aid blockade of the Palestinian enclave since March 2, which has resulted in the deaths of dozens of children due to starvation. More than 90 percent of the enclave's 2.3 million people are facing acute food shortages, according to aid groups. The Madleen, named after Gaza's first and only fisherwoman, departed Catania, Sicily on June 1, just one month after Israeli drones bombed Conscience, another Freedom Flotilla aid ship, off the coast of Malta. The 2,000km (1,250-mile) journey is expected to take seven days, provided there are no disruptions. The ship's location is being monitored live by Forensic Architecture through its onboard tracking system. The latest location as of June 3, at 15:00 GMT was some 600km (375 miles) from Sicily. There are 12 activists onboard the Madleen: Greta Thunberg – Swedish climate activist Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament Yasemin Acar – Germany Baptiste Andre – France Thiago Avila – Brazil Omar Faiad – France Pascal Maurieras – France Yanis Mhamdi – France Suayb Ordu – Turkiye Sergio Toribio – Spain Marco van Rennes – the Netherlands Reva Viard – France We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. by - Greta Thunberg The FFC has emphasised that all volunteers and crew aboard Madleen are trained in nonviolence and are sailing unarmed in a peaceful act of civil resistance against Israel's actions in Gaza. Last month, another ship carrying aid to Gaza was hit by drones in international waters off Malta. The ship had been seeking to deliver aid following Israel's genocidal blockade of the besieged enclave. The FFC told Al Jazeera that the attack on the Conscience at 12:23pm local time (10:23 GMT) on May 2 blew a hole in the vessel and set the engine years ago, Israeli commandos carried out a deadly attack on Mavi Marmara, the largest ship in an aid flotilla carrying Turkish activists. The so-called Gaza Freedom Flotilla was carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid and had set out from Istanbul in an attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Nine humanitarian volunteers were killed on May 31, 2010. Gaza has been under an Israeli land, sea and air blockade since 2007. According to a press release from the FFC, the Madleen is carrying supplies urgently needed by people in Gaza, including medical supplies, flour, rice, baby formula, nappies, women's sanitary products, water desalination kits, crutches and children's prosthetics. One in five Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is facing starvation because of Israel's three-month-long total blockade of the Strip. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 1.95 million people – 93 percent of the enclave's population – are facing acute food shortages. The IPC says Israel's continued blockade 'would likely result in further mass displacement within and across governorates', as items essential for people's survival will be depleted. Despite an Israeli-led and US-backed aid distribution organisation called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation being set up last month to deliver aid into Gaza, its new distribution hub disintegrated into chaos within hours of opening on May 27 and has been marred with even more controversy following deadly shootings at aid distribution sites. Israel has been accused of luring Palestinians to aid centres and killing more than 100 of them in the past eight days. Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians since it launched its devastating offensive on October 7, 2023.
Al Jazeera
8 hours ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Who's onboard the Madleen Gaza flotilla, and where has it reached so far?
The Madleen ship, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), is en route towards Gaza carrying humanitarian aid and human rights activists protesting against Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza. The vessel has set sail in response to Israel's total aid blockade of the Palestinian enclave since March 2, which has resulted in the deaths of dozens of children due to starvation. More than 90 percent of the enclave's 2.3 million people are facing acute food shortages, according to aid groups. The Madleen, named after Gaza's first and only fisherwoman, departed Catania, Sicily on June 1, just one month after Israeli drones bombed Conscience, another Freedom Flotilla aid ship, off the coast of Malta. The 2,000km (1,250-mile) journey is expected to take seven days, provided there are no disruptions. The ship's location is being monitored live by Forensic Architecture through its onboard tracking system. The latest location as of June 3, at 15:00 GMT was some 600km (375 miles) from Sicily. There are 12 activists onboard the Madleen: We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. by - Greta Thunberg The FFC has emphasised that all volunteers and crew aboard Madleen are trained in nonviolence and are sailing unarmed in a peaceful act of civil resistance against Israel's actions in Gaza. Last month, another ship carrying aid to Gaza was hit by drones in international waters off Malta. The ship had been seeking to deliver aid following Israel's genocidal blockade of the besieged enclave. The FFC told Al Jazeera that the attack on the Conscience at 12:23pm local time (10:23 GMT) on May 2 blew a hole in the vessel and set the engine ablaze. Fifteen years ago, Israeli commandos carried out a deadly attack on Mavi Marmara, the largest ship in an aid flotilla carrying Turkish activists. The so-called Gaza Freedom Flotilla was carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid and had set out from Istanbul in an attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Nine humanitarian volunteers were killed on May 31, 2010. Gaza has been under an Israeli land, sea and air blockade since 2007. According to a press release from the FFC, the Madleen is carrying supplies urgently needed by people in Gaza, including medical supplies, flour, rice, baby formula, nappies, women's sanitary products, water desalination kits, crutches and children's prosthetics. One in five Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is facing starvation because of Israel's three-month-long total blockade of the Strip. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 1.95 million people – 93 percent of the enclave's population – are facing acute food shortages. The IPC says Israel's continued blockade 'would likely result in further mass displacement within and across governorates', as items essential for people's survival will be an Israeli-led and US-backed aid distribution organisation called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation being set up last month to deliver aid into Gaza, its new distribution hub disintegrated into chaos within hours of opening on May 27 and has been marred with even more controversy following deadly shootings at aid distribution sites. Israel has been accused of luring Palestinians to aid centres and killing more than 100 of them in the past eight days. Israel has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians since it launched its devastating offensive on October 7, 2023.
Al Manar
14 hours ago
- General
- Al Manar
Freedom Flotilla Heads to Gaza: Israeli Occupation Navy Threatens to Intercept Aid Vessel
The Israeli occupation navy is reportedly preparing to intercept the ship 'Madleen,' which set sail from Sicily toward the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the suffocating maritime blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation. The report, aired Tuesday by the Israeli Army Radio, comes amid growing international efforts to challenge Israel's ongoing siege on the coastal enclave. The Israeli occupation army announced it is fully prepared to deal with a range of scenarios, stating that any actions taken will follow political directives. The vessel is expected to reach the area in the coming days. Don't Lose the 'Madleen': Track Her Journey to Gaza In partnership with @ForensicArchi , we've equipped the Madleen with a live tracker to ensure safety, accountability, and global solidarity.#FreedomFlotilla #BreakTheSiege #AllEyesOnGaza #AllEyesOnDeck — Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) June 1, 2025 The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international non-profit organization working to end the blockade on Gaza, confirmed that one of its ships departed the Italian port of Catania on Sunday. The mission carries humanitarian aid and aims to draw attention to the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, following a failed attempt earlier this year when another flotilla ship was attacked by two drones in the Mediterranean. The Madleen carries several international volunteers, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. The ship holds a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, representing a broader call to end the siege and expose what organizers describe as war crimes committed against Gaza's population. In early May, a different vessel operated by the coalition 'Conscience' was attacked by two drones near Maltese waters. The coalition squarely blamed the Israeli occupation for the assault, although Zionist authorities have issued no official statement. A month after attack on #Conscience #FreedomFlotilla ⛵ #Madleen sets sail for #Gaza. 'We cannot be silent bystanders. Every single one of us has a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight for a free #Palestine.' @GretaThunberg #AllEyesOnDeck — Free Gaza Australia (@GFFAusGroup) June 1, 2025 At a press conference ahead of the ship's departure, Greta Thunberg declared, 'We are carrying out this mission because, no matter the dangers, we must keep trying. To stop is to lose our humanity.' 'No matter how grave the risks, they are nothing compared to the silence of the world in the face of genocide,' she added. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition emphasized that the mission is not merely humanitarian. It is a peaceful but direct action to challenge what it describes as an illegal blockade and to expose the escalating crimes being committed against the people of Gaza. Meanwhile, the United Nations confirmed on Friday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached its worst stage since the Israeli occupation war on the besieged Gaza Strip began 19 months ago—despite the limited and insufficient resumption of aid deliveries.
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
UN experts call for safe passage of Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla aid ship
Activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, board the Madleen boat, ahead of setting sail for Gaza, departing from the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Salvatore Cavalli) GENEVA (BERNAMA-WAM): United Nations (UN) human rights experts have called for the safe passage of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition vessel, which departed from Italy on Sunday (June 1) carrying essential medical supplies, food and children's items destined for Gaza, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. In a statement issued on Monday (June 2), the experts including UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri and Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese emphasised the urgent need for humanitarian aid in Gaza. They expressed grave concern for the safety of those on board the Freedom Flotilla vessel in light of repeated Israeli attacks on human rights defenders and both UN and civilian humanitarian missions. They recalled a similar vessel launched by the alliance in early May that was targeted by a drone strike off the coast of Malta. The statement stressed that as the flotilla approaches Palestinian territorial waters off the coast of Gaza, Israel must abide by international law and comply with the International Court of Justice's orders to ensure unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance. The experts highlighted that the ICJ had issued provisional measures in March 2024 recognising the widespread presence of famine and starvation in Gaza. They further condemned the use of humanitarian aid as a weapon of war, stating that the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Relief Foundation was employing aid to displace, humiliate and detain civilians. The experts also cited alarming figures, noting that acute malnutrition among children had risen by more than 80% as of March 2025. - Bernama-WAM
