Group Sailing Toward Gaza: Composition of Madleen Flotilla and Current Progress
The Madleen ship, spearheaded by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), embarks on a mission to Gaza, carrying essential humanitarian aid and passionate human rights activists who aim to shed light on Israel's unlawful blockade of the region.
This venture emerges as a response to Israel's unending blockade of the Palestinian territory since March 2, resulting in the tragic loss of dozens of children from starvation. Out of the 2.3 million inhabitants of the enclave, more than 90% struggle with critical food shortages, according to aid agencies.
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This voyage honors Gaza's inventive first and sole fisherwoman, setting sail from Catania, Sicily on June 1, just a month after Israeli drones targeted another FFC aid ship, Conscience, off Malta's coast.
The 2,000km journey is estimated to take seven days, barring any disruptions.
The ship's position is continuously monitored through Forensic Architecture and a Garmin live tracker onboard. As of June 4 at 04:00 GMT, the vessel was about 600km away from Sicily.
Take a look at the live map showing the flotilla's current location:
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Aerial Watchdog
On Tuesday night, a reconnaissance drone was spotted keeping tabs on the Madleen, hovering approximately 68km outside Greek territorial waters. The drone turned out to be a Hellenic Coastguard Heron, which has since departed.
The Passengers on Board
The Madleen accommodates a group of 12 dedicated activists:
- Greta Thunberg - Swede environmentalist heroine
- Rima Hassan - French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament
- Yasemin Acar - Germany
- Baptiste Andre - France
- Thiago Avila - Brazil
- Omar Faiad - France
- Pascal Maurieras - France
- Yanis Mhamdi - France
- Suayb Ordu - Turk
- Sergio Toribio - Spain
- Marco van Rennes - The Netherlands
- Reva Viard - France
We persist because we must, despite the obstacles, for the moment we relinquish hope is when we lose our humanity, as voiced by Greta Thunberg.
The FFC ensures that all volunteers onboard Madleen are trained in nonviolence and are sailing unarmed in this peaceful act of civil disobedience against Israel's actions in Gaza.
Flotilla Reminiscences
Recently, another ship, commissioned to deliver aid to Gaza, was attacked by drones in international waters near Malta. This was an attempt to deliver much-needed aid following Israel's genocidal blockade of the besieged enclave.
The FFC reported that the assault on Conscience occurred at 12:23pm local time (10:23 GMT) on May 2, incurring significant damage to the vessel and setting the engine ablaze.
Fifteen years ago, Israeli commandos carried out a lethal assault on Mavi Marmara, the largest ship in an aid flotilla carrying Turkish activists. The Gaza Freedom Flotilla, carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid from Istanbul, aimed to defy Israel's blockade of Gaza. Tragically, nine humanitarian volunteers were killed on May 31, 2010.
Since 2007, Gaza has been under a merciless Israeli land, sea, and air blockade.
Humanitarian Cargo
The Madleen is laden with vital supplies crucial for Gaza residents, including medical essentials, flour, rice, baby formula, diapers, women's hygiene products, water desalination kits, crutches, and children's prosthetics, as per the FFC's press statement.
Gaza Starvation
One out of every five residents in Gaza faces starvation due to Israel's three-month-long total blockade of the Strip.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 1.95 million people – 93% of the enclave's population – are grappling with dire food shortages. The IPC warns that continued blockade will likely trigger mass displacement within and across governorates as survivor essentials deplete.
Despite the establishment of an Israeli-led and US-backed aid distribution organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, its new distribution hub disintegrated into turmoil shortly after its opening on May 27. Controversy surrounds this new initiative, following multiple shootings at aid distribution centres.
Israeli forces have been implicated in the deaths of over 100 Palestinians in the last eight days, as a result of luring them to these aid distribution centers.
Since the launch of its devastating offensive on October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Palestinians.
- The Madleen ship's mission to Gaza amidst the ongoing Israeli blockade is a civil disobedience act, rooted in human rights activism, aimed at drawing attention to the unlawful conditions in war-and-conflicts zones such as Gaza.
- The breaking news of Israeli drones targeting another FFC aid ship, Conscience, off Malta's coast in May, underscores the volatile political climate surrounding the delivery of essential humanitarian aid to region under blockade.
- The World Health Organization's recent report reveals that one out of every five residents in Gaza faces starvation, demonstrating the critical humanitarian crisis aggravated by ongoing politics and conflicts, which put thousands of innocent lives at risk.
