Humanitarian aid flotilla with Greta Thunberg and Thiago Ávila approaches Gaza

Founded in 2010, Flotilha is part of a non -violent international movement of solidarity with Palestinians

A humanitarian boat with 12 onboard activists, including Swedish Greta Thunberg and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, sails near the coast of Egypt and approaches the Gaza Strip, devastated by war and surrounded by Israel, announced on Saturday (7) the organizers of the trip.

The “Madleen”, a sailboat of the Flotilha da Liberdade coalition (FFC), departed on Sunday (1), from Sicily, Italy, towards Gaza. The goal is to provide humanitarian aid and “break Israeli block” imposed on Palestinian territory, threatened by hunger, due to the total blockade of the entry of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, imposed by Israel since 2 March. Dozens of hunger deaths have already been recorded, most of the young and elderly children.

Palestinian genocide, underway in the Gaza range since October 7, 2023, has recorded almost 55,000 deaths, mostly women and children. “We are sailing along the Egyptian coast,” Human Rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP. “We are all well,” he added.

In a statement published in London, the International Committee to break the siege of Gaza, an organization that is part of the FFC, reported that the vessel had entered waters from Egypt, neighboring the Gaza Strip.

Any interception of the sailboat would constitute “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” said the committee, who reported in contact with international legal instances to ensure the safety of people on board.

On Friday (6), activist Thiago Ávila responded to the threats of Israel’s security forces against the vessel.

“Yesterday we received another threat from the Zionist entity. They said that if we insist they will attack as they did 15 years ago at Mavi Marmara, when they killed 10% of our participants, and were not responsible at all,” said the activist, in a video posted on social networks.

The Flotilha da Liberdade coalition, founded in 2010, is a non -violent international movement of solidarity with the Palestinians that requires the end of blocking the Gaza Strip for humanitarian and political reasons.

The “Madleen” transports “juices of fruits, milk, rice, preserves, protein bars offered by hundreds of citizens of Catania,” wrote journalist Andrea Legni, who is on board.

In early May, a FFC boat expected to start from the Gaza range suffered damage. The activists said they suspected an attack from Israeli drones.

The Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) expressed its solidarity with the action of the flotilla.

“Breaking this block for sea and land is a fundamental action to save lives from Palestinian children who suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Breaking this blockade is fundamental to start the reconstruction of Gaza. It takes peace, end of attacks, bombing and immediate withdrawal of the colonialist troops of Israel, to rebuild homes, buildings, schools, universities, hospitals and all of all Civil Infrastructure of Humanitarian Aid and Social Assistance for the Palestinian population, ”said Marcelo Buzetto, from the MST-SP State Coordination, in video.

Originally published by Brazil of fact on 07/06/2025

By Leandro Melito

*With AFP

Edition: Rodrigo Gomes