Climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others set sail Sunday from southern Italy aboard a vessel aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza, organizers said.
The sailing boat Madleen, operated by the activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departed from the port of Catania, Sicily, and is headed for the Gaza Strip to deliver aid and spotlight what organizers called a deepening humanitarian crisis.
“We are doing this because, no matter the odds, we have to keep trying,” Thunberg said, tearing up during a news conference before departure. “The moment we stop trying is the moment we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not nearly as dangerous as the silence of the world in the face of a live-streamed genocide.”
Israel has rejected genocide accusations as an antisemitic “blood libel,” citing its founding in the wake of the Holocaust.
In mid-May, Israel slightly eased its blockade of Gaza after nearly three months, allowing a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the territory.
Experts have warned that Gaza is at risk of famine if more aid is not brought in.
U.N. agencies and major aid groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians.
Among those joining the Madleen crew are “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament of Palestinian descent.
She has been barred from entering Israel due to her opposition to the country’s military actions in Gaza.
The activists expect the journey to take about seven days – if they are not stopped.
Thunberg, who gained international fame as a teenage climate activist in Sweden, had been scheduled to board a previous Freedom Flotilla ship last month.
That May attempt failed after another vessel in the group’s convoy, the Conscience, was damaged in an apparent drone attack while in international waters off Malta.
The group blamed Israel for the incident, which damaged the ship’s bow, marking the latest confrontation over efforts to send assistance to the Palestinian territory devastated by more than 19 months of war.
The Israeli government says the blockade is an effort to pressure Hamas to release hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, incursion that triggered the conflict.
The incursion on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251 others.
Hamas is still holding 58 hostages.
In response, Israel launched a large-scale offensive that has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel’s bombardment and ground operations have devastated large swaths of the enclave and displaced most of its population.
The flotilla is the latest in a growing chorus of critics accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza – a charge Israel strongly denies, saying its military campaign targets Hamas members.
“We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that’s part of a broader strategy of mobilizations that will also attempt to break the siege by land,” activist Thiago Avila said.
Avila cited the upcoming Global March to Gaza – an international initiative involving doctors, lawyers and media personnel – which is scheduled to depart from Egypt and reach the Rafah crossing in mid-June to protest Israel’s offensive and demand the reopening of the border.
