The Madleen, a vessel launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), is heading toward Gaza, Palestine, with humanitarian supplies aboard, aiming to challenge Israel’s unlawful blockade of the territory. The mission was initiated in response to the complete shutdown of aid access since 2nd March 2025, which has led to death by starvation of dozens of children. Humanitarian organisations including the World Health Organisation report that over 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now suffering from severe food insecurity.
On board are 12 humanitarians and activists – including MEP Rima Hassan and climate activist Greta Thunberg – carrying essential aid: medicine, food, and infant supplies, destined for a Palestinian population subjected to an illegal blockade and enduring an ongoing genocide.
On 2nd June 2025, ten UN experts, including nine Special Rapporteurs, demanded that this vessel be granted safe passage, reminding the international community that:
- Gaza has the right to receive humanitarian aid by sea, even under occupation;
- The Flotilla is navigating entirely legally in international waters, in accordance with maritime and international humanitarian law;
- UN member states have both a legal and moral obligation to end the famine and the crimes being committed in Gaza.
Yet, since that date, the Flotilla has been surveilled by Israeli ‘Heron’ military drones “battle-tested” in Gaza and employed by EU national border and coast guards, raising fears of an imminent attack. A vessel from the same coalition was already targeted and destroyed by a drone on 2nd May near Malta.
Such an attack would constitute a grave violation of international law and place the crew’s lives in mortal danger: the estimated survival time at sea is under 8 hours. It would also deny people in Gaza access to life-saving medicine, food, and aid.
The closer the ship gets to Gaza, the higher the risk of an attack or the illegal detention of crew members by Israeli authorities.
This situation is a direct consequence of the Israeli smear campaign against UNRWA’s capacity to deliver aid to the Palestinian people, and the US-led takeover of distribution centers by 3rd party private contractors.
In the face of this imminent threat to the Freedom Flotilla, we, the undersigned, call:
- On the institutions and governments (in particular of States whose nationals make up the crew, including France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Brazil, Turkey, the Netherlands) to take immediate action to ensure:
- Safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla;
- Unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza;
- Compliance with international law by the State of Israel
- Immediate sanctions and suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, immediate EU-wide arms embargo, EU compliance with ICC arrest warrants, an end to the genocide, occupation and colonisation of Palestine.
- On global heads of state and political leaders across the spectrum to publicly take a stand in support of the humanitarian mission and the rule of law.
- On civil society to exert pressure and demand immediate protection for the vessel and its crew, and the lifting of the humanitarian blockade on Gaza.
The fate of millions of people in Gaza and the humanitarians trying to support them depends on our collective ability to respond with strength and determination.
Gaza has the right to unfettered humanitarian aid and distribution through UN organisations
The Palestinian people’s right to life, dignity, and humanitarian aid in Gaza must not be denied by force.
Support the Freedom Flotilla. Demand its protection.
Organisations can sign via this link
Signatories
Over 4700 individuals and 220 organisations:
- #DiasporaVote! (Belgium)
- 7amleh (Palestine)
- Academia Cidadã (Portugal)
- Académicos con Palestina contra el Genocidio (Mexico)
- ACAT Belgium (Belgium)
- ActionAid France (France)
- Afrilanthropy (Luxembourg)
- AfroFem Marseille (France)
- AlgoRace (Spain)
- All Faiths and None (United Kingdom)
- ALLEZ ÇA VA PRODUCTIONS (France)
- Alternatif Bilisim (Turkey)
- Alternativa Verda (Catalunya)
- Animalert (France)
- Anti-Racist Forum ry (Finland)
- Antizionist Jewish Alliance in Belgium (Belgium)
- Apna Haq (United Kingdom)
- ARCI (Italy)
- ARCU LGBT Corsica (Corsica)
- ARTICLE 19 (United Kingdom)
- ARTISTS AGAINST APARTHEID (Global)
- Asociación cultural Baizara (Spain)
- Association Bosniaque Sion (Suisse)
- Association DJENAH (France)
- Association Les Ptis Colibris (France)
- Association Master Intervention et Développement social URCA (France)
- Association Tunisienne des Femmes Democrates ATFD (Tunisia)
- Astropolis (France)
- Attika Human Support (Greece)
- Avocats Sans Frontières (Belgium)
- Balance ton Bar Grenoble (France)
- Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) (North Macedonia)
- Bascule Coop (Spain)
- Bewegung für den Sozialismus (ZH) (Switzerland)
- Bilitis Resource Center Foundation (Bulgaria)
- Border Violence Monitoring Network (Europe)
- Bridge EU (Belgium)
- Bystanders No More (United Kingdom)
- CADTM (Comitee for the abolition of illegitimate debt) (International)
- Call2Actionnow Germany (Germany)
- Caribbean Labour Solidarity (United Kingdom)
- Centre for Peace Studies (Croatia)
- Centro Raccolta Farmaci-Udine odv ets (Italia)
- Change Partnership (Belgium)
- Changemakers Lab (Greece)
- CITAD (Nigeria)
- Ciudadanías Por la paz de Colombia-Francia (France)
- Collectif Solidarité Palestine-Fribourg (Switzerland)
- Collectif Uni.e.s pour la Palestine (France)
- Collective Aid (United Kingdom)
- Collective of academics and scholars (Mexico)
- Comitato Nour ama e cambia il mondo (Italy)
- Comité UQAM Amérique Latine (Canada)
- Corbeau Noir Antifasciste (France)
- Cosmos – culture et écologie (France)
- CRID (Centre de Recherche et d’Information pour le Développement) (France)
- Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity (CROSOL) (Croatia)
- Cyberranch (France)
- Danes je nov dan, Inštitut za druga vprašanja (Slovenia)
- De Marseille à Gaza (France)
- de:criminalize e.V. (Germany)
- Debt for Climate (Global)
- Decolonial Europe Collective (Belgium)
- Delinking & Degrowth Collective (Global)
- Den postkulturelle krop (Denmark)
- Destins Liés (France)
- DiEM25 (Various-Transnational)
- DiEM25 in Cyprus (Cyprus)
- DiEM25 in Netherlands (Netherlands)
- Drama Queer Football Club (France)
- Edge Fund (London)
- EELV – Les Écologistes Béarn (France)
- Een Andere Joodse Stem (Belgium)
- EmpowerVan (Switzerland)
- (Switzerland)
- Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice (Belgium / EU)
- E-Romnja Association (Romania)
- Espace Ness (France)
- Europe Other (Albania)
- European Alternatives (Europe)
- European Anti Poverty Network (Belgium)
- European Jews for Palestine (EU)
- European Network Against Racism (EU)
- European Sex Workers Rights Alliance (ESWA) (Europe and Central Asia)
- Federation of Young European Greens (Belgium)
- Feminist antimilitarist collective (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Feminist Autonomous Centre for research (Greece)
- Feminist Collective of Romani Gender Experts (Romania)
- Feministas en Holanda (Netherlands)
- FIDH (Fédération Internationale pour les Droits Humains) (France)
- Fleurs de Lys (Suisse)
- Flotilla (France)
- Focus Association for Sustainable Development (Slovenia)
- Fondation Danielle Mitterrand – France Libertés (France)
- Fondation Laëtitia Ndayishimiye (Burundi)
- Foodcoop Maastricht (The Netherlands)
- Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (Belgium)
- Fundacion Arcoiris por el respeto a la diversidad sexual (México)
- Genocide-Free Cyprus (Cyprus)
- Glitch (United Kingdom)
- Global Asylum Seeker Human Rights Defenders Committee (GASHDC) (German)
- Global Legal Action Network (Ireland & United Kingdom)
- Greek Forum of Migrants (Greece)
- Greek Forum of Refugees (Greece)
- Groupe antifasciste Villefranche et environ (France)
- HEKLER | Four Waters Meeting Point (Serbia)
- Hermes Center (Italy)
- Hidden Goddess (Greece)
- HK for Humanity (Algeria)
- Homo Digitalis (Greece)
- Humanamente – Movimento Pela Defesa dos Direitos Humanos (Portugal)
- Humanity Diaspo (France)
- Impulsion sud (France)
- nodes (Italy)
- Inishowen Palestine Solidarity Group (Ireland)
- Institute 8th of March (Slovenia)
- International Coalition for People of African Descent (Global)
- International Women* Space (Germany)
- Islamic Human Right Commission (United Kingdom)
- iuventa-crew (Germany)
- Kids of Colour (England)
- Kinonikoekav (Greece)
- Kulturlabor Trial & Error e. V. (Gemany)
- La Cimade (France)
- La France Insoumise (France)
- La France Insoumise du Cher (France)
- La_pasteque_juridique (France)
- Lafede – justícia global (Spain)
- Laolaltă (Moldova)
- LDH (Ligue des droits de l’Homme) (France)
- Legal Centre Lesvos (Greece)
- Legal forum for Kashmir (Netherlands)
- Legebitra association (Slovenia)
- LiberTerra (France)
- Lifelong Learning Platform (Belgium)
- Liga voor Mensenrechten (Belgium)
- Ligue de l’Enseignement (France)
- Linea d’Ombra (Italy)
- Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights (Lithuania)
- Llegat Jaume Botey i Vallès (Catalonia)
- MAG Jeunes LGBT+ (France)
- Manchester Women’s Justice Collective (England)
- Mediterranea Berlin e.V. (Germany)
- Mediterranea Saving Humans Bruxelles (Belgium)
- Melitea (Italy)
- MERA25 Italy (Italy)
- MERA25 Sverige (Sweden)
- Migrant Tales (Finland)
- Mihi (Latvia)
- Missing Voices (REER) (Sénégal)
- Mobile Info Team (Greece)
- Motus et Langue Pendue (France)
- Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) (Ireland)
- Music Band Grain (France)
- MV Louise Michel (Germany)
- My Voice, My Choice (Slovenia)
- Nachbarschaftsheim Neukölln e.V. (Germany)
- National Youth Platform for Active Participation (Republic of Moldova)
- NaZemi (Czech Republic)
- Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) (United Kingdom)
- New Women Connectors (The Netherlands)
- No Name Kitchen (Spain/Italy/Serbia)
- NOMADA Association (Poland)
- Northern Lights Aid (Greece)
- Northern Police Monitoring Project (England)
- Novact (Spain)
- Parents & Teachers for Palestine (Wales)
- Parteibook24 UG (Germany)
- Partito Democratico Trieste (Italia)
- Peace Institute (Slovenia)
- People vs Big Tech (UK)
- PEPS (Pour une Écologie Populaire et Sociale) (France)
- Peuple & Culture Wallonie-Bruxelles (Belgium)
- Refugee Literacy Project (Switzerland and Greece)
- Refugees Platform in Egypt (Egypt)
- Reka Si (Slovenia)
- Revibra Europa (Germany)
- Robust Degrowth Collective (Norway)
- Romnja Feminist Library (Romania)
- Sadacare (France)
- Saine et gourmande (France)
- Samos Volunteers (Greece)
- Sastajalište Četiri vode | Four Waters Meeting Point (Serbia)
- SDT Agency (Bosnia)
- Sea-Watch (Germany)
- Shabbes 24/7 (Belgium)
- Shut Elbit Down Deutschland (Germany)
- Siempre (Belgium)
- Site za palestina (Macedonia (FYROM))
- SOMO (the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations) (The Netherlands)
- Sos Au clair de la Lune (France)
- Starfish youth music (England)
- Statewatch (United Kingdom)
- Stichting Kifaia (The Netherlands)
- Stowarzyszenie Queerowy Maj (Queer May Association) (Poland)
- Studentice za Palestinu (Croatia)
- Students for Palestine Bonn (Germany)
- Support and Sustain Children (Italy)
- Synergie Populaire (France)
- TecnoSandías (Spain)
- ThéraVie ARP-APA international anti-RPicide … (France)
- Toute (France)
- UNAforWomen (Austria)
- Union Populaire (Suisse)
- Uplift (Ireland)
- Verdi , Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden (Germany)
- Voix déterres (France)
- Vredesactie (Belgium)
- W Hope Asbl (Belgium)
- Watch the Med Alarm Phone (Transnational)
- Wave Thessaloniki (Greece)
- Weaving Liberation (Europe)
- Welwyn GC and Hatfield Trades Council (United Kingdom)
- WeMove Europe (Italy)
- Worldwide Lawyers Organisation (WOLAS) (Turkiye)
- Ya Baladi ASBL (Belgique)
- Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) (Belgium (Europe))
- Zavod APIS (Slovenia)
- Zavod Voluntariat (Slovenia)
- Zbor (Balkans)
