The Madleen (sometimes spelled “Madeline” in reports) flotilla mission to Gaza:
1. Mission Overview
- Purpose: The Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), is a civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid and international activists to break Israel’s 18-year naval blockade of Gaza .
- Departure: Launched from Catania, Sicily, on June 1, 2025, with an expected arrival in Gaza by June 7 (though delayed due to detours) .
- Cargo: Urgently needed supplies, including baby formula, flour, medical kits, prosthetics for children, and water desalination equipment .
2. Key Figures Onboard
The 12-person crew includes:
- Greta Thunberg (Swedish climate activist) .
- Rima Hassan (French-Palestinian MEP barred from Israel for criticizing its policies) .
- Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones actor) .
- Activists from Germany, France, Brazil, Turkey, Spain, and the Netherlands .
3. Challenges and Threats
- Israeli Blockade: Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to stop the ship, calling activists “Hamas propagandists” and threatening military intervention .
- Surveillance: Drones (initially suspected to be Greek or Frontex) circled the ship, raising fears of preemptive attacks .
- Communication Jamming: Israel allegedly disrupted the ship’s tracking systems as it neared Gaza .
4. Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The mission responds to:
- Starvation: 93% of Gaza’s population faces acute food shortages under Israel’s total blockade since March 2025 .
- UN Warnings: Risk of famine unless aid access improves .
5. Historical Context
- Precedent: In May 2025, another FFC ship, Conscience, was attacked by drones off Malta .
- 2010 Massacre: Israeli forces killed 10 activists aboard the Mavi Marmara flotilla .
6. Current Status (as of June 9, 2025)
- The Madleen entered Egyptian waters but remains blocked from Gaza by Israel .
- Activists vow to proceed despite threats, citing international law protecting humanitarian missions .
Key Quotes
- Rima Hassan: “Silence is complicity. This ship carries a demand: End the blockade” .
- Thiago Ávila (Activist): “We win through solidarity. Zionism cannot defeat people’s power” .
For live updates, track the ship via the Freedom Flotilla’s official tracker .
If the israelis kill us, the next flotilla won’t be just 12 people, but 1200, says @thiagoavilabr
— the israelis cannot stop the will of the people
The crew of the Madleen, a UK-flagged vessel aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, could be at risk following the Israeli War Minister’s threat to prevent the vessel from reaching Gaza’s shores. The UK and the international community must make it clear that any harm to the Madleen or its crew will not be tolerated, and will be met with accountability. Impunity must end! Genocide must stop!
Somewhere in the Mediterranean a Zionist KinderNazi naval battalion is currently hunting for Greta Thunberg
FB : @SweMFA
IG : swedishmfa
Greta Thunberg’s pre recorded message for the world in case she was kidnapped by the Israelis. She has been kidnapped right now by the Israeli Occupiers.
BREAKING: Israel’s defense minister has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.
@AbbyMartin Israel announces it will commit war crime to stop @GazaFFlotilla
“by any means necessary” as aid ship nears Gaza’s shores. Remember, they killed 10 people doing this in 2010 #AllEyesOnMadleen
·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”.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt @FranceskAlbs
BREAKING 1AM UK time. 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”.
The israelis have dropped chemicals onto the Madleen which is hurting the crew’s eyes — a heinous war crime in int’l waters #FreedomFlotilla
Israeli forces have boarded the Madleen in international waters and is most likely taking the ship and passengers to Ashdod. Israel has no authority over Gaza waters, and its blockade of Gaza is totally illegal. We need more ships from all over the world to break the siege. We have to do what the world governments have refused to do.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt
9 June 2025~#Madleen‘s journey may have ended,but the mission isn’t over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza. May they sail together—Together, Humanity is unstoppable. #BreakingTheSiege is a legal & moral imperative. Thank you Madleen Giants.
Israel’s Act of Piracy on the High Seas (illegally storming the Madleen & kidnapping its crew) serves one purpose: To defend its right to continue unobserved and unimpeded the Genocide of Palestinians. An Act of Piracy is thus committed in the process of concluding a Genocide.
FB : @Auswärtiges Amt X : GermanyDiplo
9 June 2025: Israel is to isolate detained Gaza aid ship activists in separate prison cells Israeli authorities are preparing to hold the detained crew in separate cells at Givon Prison in Ramle, according to Israel Hayom. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has also ordered a ban on communication devices, televisions, radios, and any display of Palestinian symbols inside the prison. Source:
·So Greta and her flotilla companions refused to watch footage of the effect of Israel’s mass Hannibal Directive on its own citizens in a desperate and failed bid to deter Hamas This must be why Israel has refused to release its Oct 7 “horror film” to the general public
·BREAKING: SWEDEN ABANDONS GRETA THUNBERG Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said that Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists illegally detained by ‘Israeli’ forces are NOT IN DANGER and do NOT REQUIRE CONSULAR SUPPORT, via Swedish media.
The ship was named in honor of a Palestinian girl from Gaza named Madleen Kulab, who became renowned as the first and youngest professional fisherwoman in the sector.
Madleen began her fishing journey at an early age to support her family amid economic challenges, social pressures, and the Israeli blockade. She started fishing as a child, accompanying her father—a well-known Gaza fisherman—on his trips from the age of six. From him, she learned the basics of the trade: swimming, casting nets, and handling boats.
At thirteen, her father fell seriously ill (reportedly paralyzed), leaving him unable to work. As the eldest daughter, Madleen took responsibility for the fishing boat and providing for her family.
Defying the blockade and societal norms
Gaza has endured a strict Zionist blockade since 2007, restricting fishermen’s access to just 3–6 nautical miles, drastically reducing fish stocks and livelihoods. Madleen faced these life-threatening restrictions daily.
As Gaza’s first female fisherwoman, she confronted significant social stigma in a conservative society that deemed her work unconventional. She previously stated that the community struggled to accept her role but emphasized her determination to persevere.
In 2016, Zionist occupation forces confiscated her father’s boat and equipment, worsening their hardship. Undeterred, Madleen rented an alternative motor for a tourist boat and continued fishing.
Resilience and advocacy
She supported her family by catching roughly 3 kilograms of fish daily (sold for ~30 shekels or $8 at the time). Despite these burdens, she pursued her education alongside fishing—a testament to her resilience.
Madleen extended her efforts beyond personal survival, training other girls in fishing and net-making. She established a women’s fishing club to support female workers and fishermen’s wives, empowering them to join the trade.
A symbol of Palestinian sumud (steadfastness)
Madleen Kulab became an icon of resistance, especially for Gaza’s women and fishermen, defying naval blockades, social traditions, and economic hardship.
In June 2025, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition named one of its ships Madleen to honor her as Palestine’s first fisherwoman, stand in solidarity with Gaza’s fishermen and women, and symbolize defiance.
After the war on Gaza erupted in October 2023, Madleen lost both her father and livelihood, yet her story remains a beacon of inspiration.
Legacy
Madleen Kulab’s journey embodies civil resistance and Islamic perseverance. She transformed a childhood hobby into a lifeline for her family and inspired others to overcome adversity. Today, her name sails aboard the Madleen to spotlight Gaza’s suffering and challenge the blockade.
“Teach your children Madleen’s story of struggle, so they may face life with a spirit unlike the irresponsible youth we see today—those who bear neither their own burdens nor the concerns of their nation.”
The precedence
On May 31, 2010, the world witnessed the brutal Israeli crime against peaceful activists, in which 6 civilian ships of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla were violently raided by Israeli forces in international waters of the eastern Mediterranean. Israeli special forces killed 10 unarmed activists, 9 on the spot and 1 later from his injuries, and injured over 50 others. The flotilla was carrying humanitarian aid, medical supplies, and construction materials, intending to break the illegal Israeli naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
