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Freedom Flotilla

Gaza Flotilla Ship ‘Handala’ Sails To Challenge Genocide Of Palestinians

July 10, 2025 Colonel (Ret) Ann Wright, Popular Resistance. , , , ,
As the genocide of Palestinians continues with the daily massacres of hundreds of starving people being targeted and killed by the Israeli military as they come to attempt to get food, another ship of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla coalition “Handala” is sailing to bring attention to the criminal actions of the State of Israel and its leadership. While President Trump, his cabinet and the US Congress meet with the International Criminal Court (ICC) designated war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the small ship named Handala and a group of 18 participants is in final preparations for another mission to break the illegal Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and end the genocide.

Freedom Flotilla Ship Will Attempt To Break Israeli Blockade Of Gaza

July 7, 2025 Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter, The Libertarian Institute. , , , , ,
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has said it will attempt to break the Israeli siege of Gaza with another ship. Last month, the FFC vessel ‘Madleen’ was seized by Israeli forces before it could reach the starving people of the Strip. A statement on the organization’s X account announced that the next ship will set sail from Italy next week: “We are setting sail again. On July 13, 2025, our boat Handala will depart from Siracusa [Syracuse], Italy, to break Israel’s illegal blockade. This mission is for the children of Gaza.” It continued, “Just weeks ago, Israeli forces illegally seized our boat Madleen and abducted 12 unarmed civilians aboard her in international waters.”

‘We Need More Angry Young Women’ To End Israeli Genocide Of Gaza

June 26, 2025 Ann Wright, Popular Resistance. , , , ,
Climate Activist and Gaza Flotilla volunteer Greta Thunberg’s response to Trump’s assertion that she needs anger management. After arriving at a Paris airport on June 10, 2025, four hours after she was deported from Israel following the illegal Israeli commando interception in international waters of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla sailboat Madleen, tired, sleep deprived climate and Palestinian activist Greta Thunberg responded  to a reporter’s question of her response to President Donald Trump’s comment that she was “an angry young woman who needed anger management.” Thunberg shrugged off Trump’s attempted disparagement with a jab right back at the bully President: “Considering the state of the world, I think we need many more angry young women.”

As Israel Attacked Iran, Multi-National Effort To Bring Last Three Madleen Sailors Out Of Prison

June 21, 2025 Colonel Ann Wright, Popular Resistance. , , ,
As Israel began its unprovoked attack on Iran on June 13, the last three of the twelve volunteers of the Gaza Flotilla ship Madleen were still in Israeli prisons. Marc van Rennes, Dutch citizen, was in the detention cell at Ben Gurion airport when Israeli authorities closed the airport expecting Iranian retaliation to target the airport.  He was then taken back to Israeli prison from the airport. There he joined French citizens Pascal Mauerieras and Yanis Mhamdi who were awaiting deportation the following day. Instead, the three ended up in Israeli prison for 4 more days, until an international pressure campaign finally brought their release from prison.

Finally Free: The Last Three Head Home And Ask You To Keep Mobilizing

June 16, 2025 Freedom Flotilla. , , , ,
Occupied Palestine — The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirms that all the international human rights defenders and journalists that were aboard the civilian aid ship Madleen are now en route home. The twelve were forcibly abducted and detained by Israeli forces while attempting to break Israel’s illegal and inhumane siege of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to its besieged population. The last three detained Freedom Flotilla volunteers, Marco van Rennes, Pascal Maurieras, and Yanis Mhamdi, were released from Israeli detention this morning and have begun their return to their home countries via the Jordanian border.

Over 150,000 Protest Across Europe Against Gaza Blockade

June 11, 2025 Ana Vračar, People's Dispatch. , , , , , , ,
Tens of thousands of people joined protests across Europe demanding the release of the Freedom Flotilla crew aboard the vessel Madleen and calling on their governments to take immediate action to ensure the delivery of essential supplies to the Gaza Strip. Demonstrations took place in dozens of cities across Britain, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, France, and beyond, just hours after Israeli occupation forces abducted Madleen and confiscated its humanitarian cargo. Protesters condemned the silence of European governments and institutions regarding the flotilla’s mission and the crew’s ordeal, warning that they once again failed to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law.

Israeli Forces Detain Freedom Flotilla Activists

June 10, 2025 Adalah. , , , ,
Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel has sent an urgent legal letter to Israeli authorities demanding information on the whereabouts of the 12 activists forcibly detained after Israeli naval forces unlawfully seized the Madleen, a vessel sailing as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen in international waters at around 3:00 a.m. Israel time on 9 June 2025, and contact with the activists was lost. This peaceful civilian mission sought to break Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza, enforced as part of a broader policy of engineered starvation and an ongoing 20-month-long genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Gaza Freedom Flotilla Sailboat Madleen Intercepted By Israelis

June 9, 2025 Ann Wright, Popular Resistance. , , , , ,
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s (FFC) sailboat, Madleen was intercepted in international waters by the Israeli military at 3:02 am CEST at 31.95236° N, 32.38880° E. The ship was unlawfully boarded, its 12 unarmed civilian crew and participants abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated, as well as personal possessions taken. To our knowledge, no one from the Madleen was injured during the interception. Immediately after the interception, the crew and participants were moved immediately from the Madleen and taken to an Israeli ship. That is only the second time that crew/participants have been taken off the flotilla ship.

Israeli War Minister Threatens Gaza Freedom Flotilla

June 8, 2025 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , ,
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on 8 June that he has instructed the army to prevent the Gaza Freedom Flotilla vessel from reaching the besieged strip. “I have instructed the Israeli army to act to prevent the Madleen flotilla from reaching Gaza. To the anti-Semitic Greta and her friends, I say clearly: You’d better turn back – because you won’t reach Gaza,” Katz said.  “Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, which aims to prevent Hamas from supplying weapons,” the defense minister added.  According to reports from Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) and Channel 12, the Israeli navy is preparing to intercept the vessel, seize it, and tow it to Ashdod port. 

Next Days Critical In Worldwide Demand That Israeli Genocide Must End

June 7, 2025 Colonel (ret) Ann Wright, Popular Resistance. , , ,
Within 48 hours, 12 brave souls in the Madleen, Flotilla Steering Committee members Thiago Avila – Brazil and Yasemin Acar – Germany;  Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament, Dr. Baptiste Andre – France, Omar Faiad – France; Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent, Pascal Maurieras – France, Reva Viard – France, Yanis Mhamdi – France;  Suayb Ordu – Turkiye; Sergio Toribio – Spain; Greta Thunberg – Swedish climate activist; Marco van Rennes – The Netherlands. will carry the solidarity of citizens of the world to those in Gaza and West Bank for the ending of the genocide and ethnic cleansing. Within 48 hours, the 12 volunteers on the Madleen will most probably be stopped in international waters, arrested, taken against their wills, to a place they do not want to go, imprisoned and then deported…from Israel.

If We Don’t Act Now, We’ll Be Complicit In Annihilation Of Palestinians

June 5, 2025 Lynn Ruane, TheJournal.ie. , , , , ,
I was privileged to be in Catania over the past week to see the Madleen embark on its mission to deliver vital humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The Madleen is one of the boats of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which hopes to bring about an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The boat departed Sicily on Sunday carrying a dozen activists along with food, medicine and other supplies. Two million Gazans have suffered under siege by Israel for many months now. I arrived at the port and was met with a feeling of hope, care and bravery. There is no freedom without solidarity, and the Freedom Flotilla is solidarity.

The Freedom Flotilla: Bravely Breaking The Siege Against Gaza

June 4, 2025 Margaret Knapke, Foreign Policy In Focus. , , , , , ,
Many people, armed only with moral and political convictions, would be too intimidated to confront an army or navy directly. But not all. Twelve nonviolent human-rights activists with the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) are currently sailing a small boat, the Madleen, to Gaza. They hope to create a humanitarian sea corridor through Israel’s illegal blockade. If all goes well, they should arrive this weekend, with “baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics.” They know the danger.

Gaza Flotilla Ship Madleen Begins Its Voyage To Gaza

June 1, 2025 Colonel Ann Wright, Popular Resistance. , , , , ,
The Gaza Flotilla sailboat Madleen set off from Catania, Sicily, Italy on June 1, 2025 for a 7-day voyage to Gaza to break the 40-year illegal Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and now to stop the 600 day genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The Madleen and her 12-person crew and participants departed Catania, Sicily, Italy about 4pm Central European Summer Time on Sunday, June 1, 2025 following four very successful community events in Catania, each event having several hundred members of the local community attending. The Madleen is named after Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman in 2014. The ship is a symbol of the unyielding spirit of Palestinian resilience and the growing global resistance to Israel’s use of collective punishment and deliberate starvation policies.

15 Years Ago I Was On A Gaza Flotilla Mission That Ended In 10 Dead And 50 Wounded By Israeli Commandos

May 28, 2025 Colonel (Ret) Ann Wright, Popular Resistance. , , , , ,
Fifteen years ago, in May 2010, I was one of approximately 700 persons that sailed on 7 unarmed civilian ships to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and bring needed food, medicines and materials to Palestinians in Gaza who were suffering under the brutal, inhumane policies enacted by the Israeli government, which included a naval, land and air blockade of Gaza. These policies included “putting Palestinians on a diet” by reducing the caloric intake of persons living in Gaza by allowing a much reduce number of trucks carrying food into Gaza.  I don’t think 15 years ago, we could have predicted the cruelty of the Israeli government as it now conducts the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians living in the West Bank.

Airstrike On ‘Conscience’ Confirmed; Crew Evacuated

May 25, 2025 Freedom Flotilla Coalition. , , , , ,
Malta – The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announces two significant developments in the aftermath of the May 2 Israeli drone attack on the Conscience in international waters. Firstly, we are relieved to confirm that the remaining 12 crew members who remained stranded at sea have now safely returned to their home countries. After over two weeks of unjustifiable delay and denial of safe harbor, Maltese authorities finally permitted them to disembark and depart. These volunteers faced not only the trauma of unprovoked Israeli military strikes, but also the risk of further attacks while stranded. Their safe return is a testament to their courage, perseverance and steadfast commitment to challenging Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza.
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