Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, alongside Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and European Parliament member Rima Hassan, will board the “Madleen” on Sunday, departing from Catania, Sicily, to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), this mission aims to break Israel’s tightened blockade, imposed in 2007 and intensified on March 2, 2025, banning essential supplies like food, water, and medicine.
The voyage marks the FFC’s second attempt in recent months to reach Gaza, following a May 2 drone attack on their vessel “Conscience” in international waters, which the FFC attributes to Israel.
The attack damaged the ship’s front section, forcing the mission to abort.
The “Madleen” carries not only aid but also a message of defiance against Israel’s policies.
MEP Rima Hassan, in a social media video, outlined the mission’s goals:
The first [goal] being of course to reject the blockade of humanitarian aid, the ongoing genocide, the impunity enjoyed by the State of Israel and to raise global international awareness
Rima Hassan.
The voyage responds to the earlier attack and seeks to spotlight Gaza’s dire situation, where the World Health Organization warns of famine risks, with a quarter of the population facing “catastrophic” hunger, malnutrition, and illness.
Israel’s partial lifting of the blockade last week has allowed only minimal aid, exacerbating chaos at distribution points, where three deaths and dozens of injuries were reported.
Joining Thunberg and Hassan are Palestinian-American lawyer Huwaida Arraf and Cunningham, a longtime advocate for Palestine.
The mission faces challenges, as Israel’s blockade persists and the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation faces boycotts from the UN and other groups, who accuse Israel of weaponizing aid distribution.
The FFC’s effort underscores a growing international call to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and challenge the ongoing siege.