IN PICTURES | Greta Thunberg closing in on Gaza: Aboard the Freedom Flotilla’s ‘Madleen'

The Madleen, a UK-flagged civilian ship launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, is en route to Gaza. It has just crossed the Egyptian coast and is closing in on the Gaza Strip

Madleen, named after Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman, carries 5,500 tonnes of aid such as medical supplies, flour, rice, baby formula, nappies, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, crutches, and children’s prosthetics, meant for the besieged Gaza Strip.

There are 11 activists and a journalist on board the Madleen: Greta Thunberg – Swedish climate activist, Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament, Yasemin Acar – Germany, Baptiste Andre – France, Thiago Avila – Brazil, Omar Faiad – France; Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Pascal Maurieras – France, and Yanis Mhamdi – France Suayb Ordu – Turkiye. Famous Game of Thrones star Liam Cunningham is also on board.

The broader initiative began earlier on April 29, 2025. A ship, Conscience, set sail from Tunisia with tonnes of aid for Gaza; however, the ship was attacked in international waters on May 2. The attack blew a hole in the vessel and set the engine ablaze.

Gaza has been under blockade in land, sea and air by Israel since 2007. On May 31, 2010, nine humanitarian volunteers were killed by Israeli commandos while they were trying to break the Israeli siege on Gaza. According to Freedom Fortilla Coalition, all volunteers and crew members are non-violent and are heading to Gaza for civil resistance against the Israeli siege on Gaza since October 7, 2023 which has killed 54,000 people, including women and children

According to Human Rights Group, Gaza is starving and on course for a Famine. The Gaza Humanitarian Aid foundation, which started aid distribution, is accused of killing more than 100 people in the past eight days, luring them in for aid.