Weeks after attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla, it decides to sail again on June 1st to attempt break siege imposed by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip. Last month, the Flotilla sailed to Gaza but was soon halted by drone attack, forcing the internationals on board to return. Famous names expected to be on board: Greta Thunberg, actor Liam Cunningham and EU lawmaker Rima Hassan.

**12 volunteers aboard 'Madleen' **

Baptiste Andre 🇫🇷 Greta Thunberg 🇸🇪 Sweden Climate and Social activist Şuayb Ordu 🇹🇷 Mark van Rennes 🇳🇱 Omar Faiad 🇫🇷 Al Jazeera correspondant Pascal Maurieras 🇫🇷 Reva Viard 🇫🇷 Rima Hassan 🇫🇷 French-Palestinian European deputee Sergio Toribio 🇪🇸 Thiago Ávila 🇧🇷 Yanis Mhamdi 🇫🇷 Blast journalist Yasemin Acar 🇩🇪

Madleen Tracker Don’t lose the Madleen. Track her journey for safety, accountability, and solidarity." Forensic Architecture has created an online "Madleen Tracker" to keep an eye on her perilous journey to bring Aid to the besieged Gaza: https://freedomflotilla.org/ffc-tracker/

Gaza Flotilla statement

*Catania, Sicily, Italy | June 1, 2025 – Today at 16:00 GMT+2 the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) launched the Madleen, a civilian ship now sailing toward Gaza carrying humanitarian aid and international human rights defenders in direct defiance of Israel’s illegal and genocidal blockade. Named after Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman in 2014, Madleen symbolizes the unyielding spirit of Palestinian resilience and the growing global resistance to Israel’s use of collective punishment and deliberate starvation policies. Her launch comes just one month after Israeli drones bombed Conscience, another Freedom Flotilla aid ship, in international waters off the coast of Malta—underscoring both the urgency and the danger of this mission to break the siege on Gaza. On board are volunteers from multiple countries, among them Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, and climate justice activist Greta Thunberg. The ship is carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics. Fifteen years ago, Israel carried out an unlawful and deadly attack on the Mavi Marmara, in which ten humanitarian volunteers were killed while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. This mission is a continuation of that legacy—a refusal to surrender to silence, fear, or complicity. The siege on Gaza is maintained not just by Israeli firepower, but by global inaction. Despite the risks, we believe that direct, civil resistance still matters —that active solidarity, can shift the moral compass of the world. That is why Madleen sails. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition emphasizes that this is a peaceful act of civil resistance. All volunteers and crew aboard Madleen are trained in nonviolence. They are sailing unarmed, united by the shared belief that Palestinians deserve the same rights, freedom, and dignity as all people.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition calls on:

• Governments to guarantee safe passage for Madleen and all humanitarian vessels

• Media outlets to report on this mission with accuracy and integrity

• People of conscience everywhere to reject silence and take action for Gaza

We will not be deterred. We will not be silenced.

Voices from the Madleen

“I am aboard Madleen because silence is not neutrality—it is complicity, The Palestinian people in Gaza are being starved and slaughtered, and the world watches. This ship is not just carrying aid, it is carrying a demand: End the blockade. End the genocide.” Rima Hassan

“We are seeing a systematic starvation of 2 million people. The world cannot be silent bystanders, Every single one of us has a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight for a free Palestine.” Greta Thunberg

Chronology of the event

On June 3, reports from the Madleen Freedom Flotilla, sailing to break the US-Israeli siege on Gaza and deliver aid, that a drone appeared at the ship a short while ago and hovered over it. It has now moved on, but the passengers are still alert and concerned.

On June 8, Madleen vessel was experiencing heavy GPS and network jamming. The Israeli Army has sent three ships toward it

On June 9, around 01:00, while the Madleen is approaching to the Gaza coast, Franceska Albanese, write on X "BREAKING!!! - 11:18PM UK time; I am with the flotilla online. They have just been reached by the Israel speedboats - 5 vessels circling the flotilla. The captain is instructing the team to stay calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets on. I hear them speaking with Israeli soldiers as I type... telling they are carrying humanitarian aid and go in peace. For the time being they are just circled. I am with them, recording everything."

At 1:50, the Israeli boats that were encircling the flotilla had left. It was the first step of an intimidation process. Their GPS devices was dammaged by a white substance thrown on the boat.

At the same hour, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt writes on X "I just spoke again with the Flotilla, incl its Comm Room in Catania. All looks calm and safe now. Speedboats watching; but the flotilla continues its sailing. It will be a long night. And as they say and we say, "we are together"."

At 2:37 Franceska Albaneses writes on X : "Two drones over the Madleen. They say they are quadcopters, the dangerous ones. TEAM IS TAKING COVER."

At 3:00. Israeli speedboat reached Madleen. "At the time the boat was intercepted no one is wounded" the captain asked me to record. I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me. I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that "another boat is approaching".

At 3:10 The Israeli army has the Madleen passengers at direct gunpoint

At 3:14 Israeli forces have boarded the Freedom Flotilla and the crew were arrested. The boat was in the international waters.

On June 10, 8 activists are still detained by Israel in Givon detention facility in Ramla for ‘illegal residents’ including MEP Rima Hassan for refusing to sign a document requiring them to acknowledge having entered Israeli territory illegally, a condition imposed by Israel for their release. As a reminder, their arrest took place in international waters not in “Israel’s territory” and they were heading towards Gaza which is not part of ‘Israel’.

Suayb Ordu (Turkey) Mark van Rennes (The Netherlands) Pascal Maurieras (France) Reva Viard (France) Rima Hassan (France) Thiago Avila (Brazil) Yanis Mhamdi (France) Yasemin Acar (Germany)

Approximately 24 hours after contact was lost with the Madleen, Adalah lawyers were able to meet with 10 of the 12 activists abducted by Israel from international waters. Two, Omar Faiad (Al Jazeera) and Yanis Mhamdi (France), are represented separately by private counsel.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirmed that four have been deported:

Baptiste Andre (France) Greta Thunberg (Sweden) Sergio Toribio (Spain) Omar Faiad (France)

The remaining eight activists—including journalists and human rights defenders from France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Turkey, and Germany—remain in Israeli detention, refusing to sign deportation papers and awaiting a tribunal. All 12 deny any illegal entry, asserting their mission was humanitarian and that Israel’s actions are unlawful under international law.

The FFC calls their detention arbitrary, politically motivated, and part of a broader system that silences humanitarian resistance. They emphasize solidarity with Palestinians, who face daily imprisonment and systemic abuse under occupation, with over 10,400 currently detained by Israel, including children and thousands held without trial.

Israel Foreign Ministry statement @IsraelMFA

With recent reports of a “celebrities yacht” heading to Gaza, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to clarify the following: The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to unauthorized vessels under a legal naval blockade, consistent with international law. The yacht is claiming that it is delivering humanitarian aid. In fact, it is a media gimmick for publicity (which includes less than a single truckload of aid) - a “selfie yacht”. Humanitarian aid is delivered regularly and effectively via different channels and routes, and is transferred through established distribution mechanisms. Over the past two weeks, more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza. The Gaza maritime zone remains an active conflict area, and Hamas has previously exploited sea routes for terrorist attacks, including the October 7th massacre. Unauthorized attempts to breach the blockade are dangerous, unlawful, and undermine ongoing humanitarian efforts. We call on all actors to act responsibly and to channel humanitarian aid through legitimate, coordinated mechanisms, not through provocation

Other Israel Foreign Ministry statement @IsraelMFA

*"The “selfie yacht” of the “celebrities” is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries. While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity — and which included less than a single truckload of aid — more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza. There are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip — they do not involve Instagram selfies. The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the “celebrities” will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels."

French European deputee Rima Hassan statement:

Israel once again violates international law — with complete impunity. By intercepting a humanitarian ship in international waters, Israel once again tramples on maritime and humanitarian law. This illegal act is carried out by an army committing genocide, under the command of a Prime Minister subject to an international arrest warrant. But instead of taking responsibility, Israel opts for grotesque theater: after an illegal nighttime interception, its forces stage a media farce by handing out water and sandwiches to detained civilians. A pathetic attempt to cover up what is, in truth, an act of state piracy. This strategy is nothing new. This week, thanks to the “selfie yacht” of the Freedom Flotilla — which they tried to ridicule — civil society and political voices from around the world rose up. As a result, we avoided a repeat of the deadly 2010 flotilla attack, which left 9 dead. Israel has replaced drones with cameras. Even in illegality, it adapts its communication strategy. 👉 What we must remember: When states fail in their duty to act against genocide, citizens rise. And in response, Israel does not hesitate to use force, in blatant violation of international law. This arrest is illegal — and it must be condemned with the utmost firmness. (Message from Rima’s team)

The aftermath of the vessel arrest

Adalah represents Freedom Flotilla activists and demands immediate disclosure of their whereabouts. 09/06/2025

Adalah Center Update (June 9, 10 PM, Jerusalem time):

All detained volunteers from the Madleen Freedom Flotilla are being held at Ashdod Port and are currently undergoing processing. They will be handed to immigration authorities. Those who refuse immediate deportation will be sent to the Ramleh detention facility. Authorities say volunteers who agree to deportation might fly out from Tel Aviv tonight, but the terms, such as signing documents or waiving rights, are unclear. Adalah is demanding access to the volunteers before any transfer or deportation takes place.

Abdalah Center statement on June 9:

(...) According to available information, the ship was sailing in international waters when it was intercepted at 3:00 a.m., after being surrounded by the Israeli Navy and drones. It did not enter Israeli territorial waters, nor was it intended to do so. Rather, the Madeleine was en route to the territorial waters of the Palestinian state, as recognized under international law. Accordingly, Israel has no legal jurisdiction to intercept the ship or arrest those on board.

The interception of the ship and the arrest of the unarmed civilian activists seeking to deliver humanitarian aid constitute a flagrant violation of international law. The blockade of Gaza is an illegal siege, used as a military weapon to starve the civilian population, constitutes collective punishment prohibited under international humanitarian law, and violates the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in the genocide case (South Africa v. Israel).

Testimonies indicate that Israeli forces towed the ship to the port of Ashdod, where all activists were transferred into detention without any official announcement of their whereabouts or legal status, and without allowing them access to lawyers.

Accordingly, Adalah demands immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of the 12 activists, their legal status, and the guarantee that they have access to the legal representation necessary to present their cases before the courts. Adalah affirms that it will take legal steps in the coming days to secure their release.

The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a criminal complaint in the UK against elite unit Shayetet 13, under the command of Vice Admiral David Saar Salama over Israel’s illegal raid on the British-flagged aid ship #Madleen and the abduction of 12 people. For more info read.

The Spanish National Court opens a criminal investigation on Augustus 8:

According to Jaume Asens (@Jaumeasens) Member of the European Parliament & Advocat, the Spanish National Court informed that it is opening a criminal investigation for war crimes and crimes against humanity against Netanyahu, his Foreign Minister, and several high-ranking Israeli military officials. The court ruling considers that the assault on the Madleen ship, on June 1st en route to Gaza, constitutes a criminal offense. The investigation covers the use of drones, tear gas, and the illegal detention of 12 activists, including Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan. The European deputee, Jaume Asens, filed the complaint on behalf of Spanish citizen Sergio Toribio and the Committee for Solidarity with the Arab Cause.

📌 Based on the principle of universal jurisdiction 📌 Requests cooperation with the International Criminal Court 📌 Denounces the assault in the context of genocide in Gaza

"This is a major step in the fight against Israel's impunity. When states fail to fulfill their obligations, it is up to civil society to activate justice as an ethical, legal, and political tool against horror. We now hope this initiative spreads to other countries, so that Netanyahu cannot set foot in Europe without facing justice".