The Madleen freedom flotilla carrying humanitarian aid, including baby formula, food, and medical supplies intended for the shores of Gaza,was, was illegally intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces.
Among those detained was climate activist Greta Thunberg, who emphasised that the action was about drawing attention to the ongoing genocide and starvation of the people of Gaza. The Israeli Defense Ministry has stated that the activists will be safely returned to their countries.
The flotilla mission comes amid escalating global condemnation of what UN experts and human rights organizations have called a policy of collective punishment and enforced starvation imposed on Gaza’s population through siege and bombardment.
Anne Jellema, 350.org Executive Director, says:
“We are witnessing not only a humanitarian catastrophe but a total failure of moral responsibility from the international community. Those aboard the Madleen acted with compassion and courage, where world leaders have stood by in silence. Their detention must not distract from the real story: the urgent need to end the blockade.
350.org stands in full solidarity with all peoples affected by war and displacement. Militarism and fossil fuel dependence are deeply intertwined—fueling conflict, enabling authoritarianism, and driving environmental destruction. Ending the age of fossil fuels is inseparable from ending systematic violence and oppression.”