Gaza has been in a state of war since October 7, 2023. To date, thousands of people, including children, have been killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces. This may be the first time that mass murder has been extensively documented for the world to see.
The world has mostly remained silent, but those who wish to speak do so because silence is not an option. On June 1, 2025, the Freedom Flotilla Madleen departed from Catania, Sicily, demonstrating this truth.
Carrying 12 activists from seven different countries, along with food and aid for the Palestinians, this flotilla challenged the blockade imposed by Israel. It showed that sometimes it takes just 12 voices to significantly impact the world.
The Flotilla of Hope
The Madleen, however, wasn’t just a flotilla carrying aid; it was also a vessel carrying hope. Palestinians have long been deprived of hope because the world seems not to acknowledge what they are going through. Leaders tend to throw away every inch of hope they carry and continue the war on children.
Amid this, the flotilla carrying 12 activists seemed like a ray of sunshine in the dark. It meant that someone cares.
The Symbolic Aid
Organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Mavi Marmara carried symbolic aid for the people of Gaza. While it wasn’t enough for all the starving Palestinians, it was a question mark on the face of international authorities and of Israel, which have blocked aid in the Strip since January 24, 2024.
The United Nations estimates that close to 500 aid trucks are needed in Gaza every day to meet the basic needs of the Palestinians. In late May, COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for civilian affairs, reported that it allowed 107 trucks to enter the enclave, which the aid agencies have criticised as not meeting even the bare minimum.
Palestinians Left on the Brink of Starvation
Currently, people in Gaza are starving. The close to 2.1 million population of Gaza is suffering from acute malnutrition, starvation, illnesses and death. This includes children as young as newborn.
“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,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Reports indicate that without immediate access to food and medicines, the population will further descend into malnutrition, and Gaza will fall into a famine, resulting in even more deaths.
What’s more astonishing is that this aid isn’t miles away, but right across the border, where it is stopped by the authorities from entering Gaza.
Kidnapped and Deported
Madleen has been intercepted by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and sent back. The last videos from those onboard informed that before the interception, they could see drones above, which threw a white substance on them. This caused irritation and burning.
The Israeli soldiers ordered the 12 activists, including the Sweden climate activist, Greta Thunberg, to throw away their phones. A photo circulating on social media showed the twelve members raising their hands in surrender to the IOF.
After reaching Paris after being deported from Israel, Thunberg stated that she and the other activists were, in fact, kidnapped in international waters. Greta, however, did not make the whole incident about herself and continued to speak about the Palestinians and highlighted the continued commitment to war crimes by Israel.
Not the First Freedom Flotilla, Not the Last
While the Madleen has caught enormous attention, probably due to the high-profile names that boarded it, it was not the first time a freedom flotilla has tried to break Israel’s siege of Gaza. Attempts to do so have been made in the past many years.
In 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, called Mavi Marmara, was invaded by Israel, killing 10 activists onboard. This caused global outrage as the ship was solely carrying aid and 600 passengers.
In 2011, Freedom Flotilla II was launched as a follow-up to the one that was invaded in 2010. However, due to intense diplomatic pressure from Israel and reported sabotage of ships, most boats did not depart.
Then, in 2015, Freedom Flotilla III, named Marianne, sailed as a third major attempt by international activists to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Again, Israeli forces intercepted the ship and deported the activists.
In 2018, Just Future for Palestine flotilla made yet again an effort. However, Israeli naval forces arrested all on board and reportedly assaulted them.
In 2025, Break the Siege Conscience was preparing to sail when armed drones attacked it, causing fire in the hull.
While no such known vessel is on its way to Gaza right now, if history is any guide, it won’t take long before it does. Because hope floats, even when borders close. And as long as people are willing to sail toward injustice, no matter the cost, Palestine will never be forgotten.
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