“The moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity,” Greta Thunberg said, standing at the edge of the Sicilian port of Catania. Behind her, a small white-hulled boat, barely 20 metres long, named Madleen, after a Palestinian fisher, was preparing to set sail for Gaza.
Alongside the 22-year-old Swedish activist were 11 other international volunteers, including Irish actor Liam Cunningham,best known for his role in Game of Thrones,and French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan. Their destination: the shores of a besieged strip of land where over 2.1 million Palestinians face what the United Nations has called an “unfolding famine” amid the longest and deadliest phase of the Israel–Hamas war to date.
The voyage is operated by the International nonprofit organisation, Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and set off on Sunday with the goal of “breaking Israel’s siege” of the blockaded Palestinian territory.The crew plans to sail for about a week to reach Gaza’s shores, carrying a “limited amount, though symbolic” cargo of humanitarian aid supplies. Organisers said, in a press conference, that the voyage’s primary aim is to deliver aid and draw global attention to Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis under blockade.
Thunberg explained why she joined the voyage at the send-off press conference. “We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying,” she added that no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of what she termed a “livestreamed genocide” against Gaza’s people. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition emphasised that this voyage is not charity. “This is a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes,” the organisation said in a statement. The activists view their attempt as part of a broader global effort: “We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that’s part of a broader strategy,” said activist Thiago Ávila, pointing to an upcoming “Global March to Gaza” over land via Egypt to demand an end to the offensive and the opening of borders.
This is the coalition’s second attempt in recent weeks. An earlier flotilla boat, the Conscience, was attacked by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta in May, forcing it to turn back. Thunberg had been scheduled to join that voyage, which was abandoned after explosions damaged the vessel’s front section. The Freedom Flotilla group blamed the drone strike on Israel, though Israeli authorities did not comment on the incident. Undeterred, the activists regrouped for this new attempt. Organisers acknowledge they may be intercepted before reaching Gaza’s shores, but said the effort is a success if it focuses international scrutiny on the plight of civilians in Gaza.
Public reaction to the voyage has been divided. Many users on X hailed the crew’s courage, calling them role models. One widely shared post with over 3,000 likes read: “If my German-born Jewish holocaust surviving mother were alive today, she would be on the boat. Her spirit is with you, protecting you. Never again meant never again.”
Others, however, expressed scepticism, accusing the mission of being more symbolic than substantive. “It's a publicity stunt. 10 days to sail to Gaza and deliver a few bags of food to the hungry. Filmed from all sides. This is complete nonsense,” one post said.
Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis Reaches Breaking Point
The activists’ voyage comes as Gaza is engulfed in a severe humanitarian crisis after nearly 19 months of war. Conditions in the densely populated enclave have deteriorated to their worst levels since the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants erupted in late 2023, according to the United Nations. Israeli forces have carried out a relentless military campaign in response to a Hamas attack in October 2023, and Gaza’s population has been devastated. More than 90% of Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced from their homes – many multiple times – by continuous bombardment and evacuation orders, according to the United Nations. Entire city blocks lie in ruins; families are now living in makeshift shelters amid the rubble of their destroyed homes.
Casualty figures illustrate the immense human toll. Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza and injured over 92,000, according to Gaza health authorities. The overwhelming majority of Gaza’s dead are civilians, including thousands of children, based on United Nations monitoring. In addition to the loss of life, Gaza’s infrastructure and basic services have all but collapsed under sustained assault and blockade.
Electricity is almost nonexistent – the territory’s power system has been cut off since the war’s start, the UN reports. Water and sewage networks have been severely damaged, leaving large areas without clean water or sanitation. Hospitals and clinics are in crisis: 94% of Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, the World Health Organisation warned in May, and only 19 of 36 hospitals are still operating in any capacity. Medical facilities that remain open are overwhelmed by casualties and crippling shortages of medicine, fuel, and staff. North Gaza has “been stripped of nearly all health care,” WHO said, as fighting has forced major hospitals to shut down and even field clinics to come under fire.
A total blockade imposed by Israel at the start of the war compounded the suffering, cutting off fuel, food, and medicine for weeks. Although Israel eased its siege slightly in mid-May, allowing a trickle of humanitarian trucks in after an 11-week complete closure, aid agencies say the relief is far too limited. UN officials have warned that Gaza faces famine if much larger aid flows are not permitted. The Food and Agriculture Organisation found that less than 5% of Gaza’s farmland remains cultivable after widespread destruction of fields, wells and greenhouses – a collapse in food production that the agency calls “alarming.” “Famine is not just a risk, but is likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts of Gaza,” a coalition of major aid groups reported in April. Malnutrition is rising as food supplies run out, and many families survive on bread scraps and contaminated water. The humanitarian aid system itself is nearing total collapse after months of airstrikes and bureaucratic obstacles: some 95% of aid organisations in Gaza have had to suspend or sharply reduce operations due to insecurity and shortage “The people of Gaza – particularly women and children – are paying the price,” the Norwegian Refugee Council said, noting families cannot find safe shelter or basic necessities amidst the carnage.
The Madleen may never reach Gaza. If history is a guide, it will be intercepted well before it nears the coast. But the voyage is already posing the question its organisers intended to raise: what does it mean when civilians in a war zone must rely on activist flotillas to receive basic supplies?
With the humanitarian crisis now too large to ignore, and traditional diplomatic channels stalled, even symbolic actions have gained political gravity. In a region where aid is subject to airstrikes and border closures, sailing a small boat has become an act of defiance—and a test of what the world is willing to witness.
