Freedom Flotilla 'within 48 hours' of reaching Gaza amid Israeli threats

A civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid and international human rights defenders continued its voyage to the besieged Gaza Strip on Saturday, despite Israeli threats to prevent its arrival.

The vessel, Madleen, departed from Italy and is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as part of a renewed effort to break the blockade imposed on Gaza for over 17 years. 

On Friday evening, the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza announced that the Madleen had reached the waters off Marsa Matrouh, on Egypt’s northern coast, and was continuing its journey towards Gaza.

Among those on board is climate activist Greta Thunberg, whose participation has brought even more international attention to the mission.

In a post on X, the committee stated: "The ship is gradually approaching the shores of Gaza, and is expected to arrive within the next 48 hours", warning that "the coming hours are critical and decisive". The group noted that the ship arrived off Marsa Matrouh at 18:50 GMT.

The committee called for public solidarity and vigilance, stating: "Your voice is our protection”, and urged international civil society to pressure Israel to allow safe passage.

"Let the apartheid state - Israel - know that the world is watching. Your silence gives them cover. Do not be silent,"  it said, adding: "Every hour, we come miles closer to Gaza. Just a few miles away, there are children and infants in desperate need of clean water, food, and medicine… while they live under a relentless barrage of Zionist airstrikes – and yet billions watch in silence."

"This is not the time for silence," the statement concluded.

The ship is carrying vital humanitarian supplies, including medical equipment, intended to support Gaza's  devastated healthcare system. The healthcare sector in the Palestinian enclave  has been systematically destroyed by Israel over more than 20 months of ongoing war characterised by UN officials as genocidal, with only a few hospitals remaining operational. 

On board the Madleen are 12 international human rights defenders, many of whom are from France. Some have previously participated in Freedom Flotilla missions and were detained by Israeli forces.

Despite the peaceful nature of the mission, Israeli authorities have stated they will not allow the vessel to approach Gaza's shores, with a possible military confrontation not being ruled out by Tel Aviv.

On Wednesday, Israel's Broadcasting Authority reported that the country "had decided to prevent the ship Madleen, which sailed from Italy in an attempt to break the siege on the Gaza Strip, from approaching or docking at the territory’s shores".

Although there had been "an initial inclination to allow the ship to reach Gaza as long as it posed no security threat", that decision was later reversed "to avoid setting a precedent that could be repeated".

On Thursday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition issued an open letter to the Israeli government via the platform Action Network. The letter was described as an "official notification to Israel and its military and political leadership regarding the voyage of the civilian ship Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition".

The letter stated: "The ship Madleen is unarmed, poses no threat, and is operating in accordance with international maritime law, international humanitarian law, and human rights law," noting that passengers include "parliamentarians, journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders representing global civil society".