Gaza Freedom Flotilla Tracked by Drones

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), launched the Madleen from Catania, Sicily, on June 1 with a final destination of Gaza. Named after Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman, the FCC says the trip is aimed at trying “to break Israel’s more than 17-year illegal and inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip”. Israel has had a land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since 2007.

In partnership with Forensic Architecture, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has equipped the Madleen with an advanced tracking system. This technology plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of those on board, maintaining transparency about the vessel’s location, and holding potential aggressors accountable for their actions,” the Freedom Flotilla said. As of June 5, the tracker had stopped transmitting.

The 1,250-mile (2,000km) journey is expected to take seven days, if there are no disruptions. The FFC has emphasized that all volunteers and crew on board Madleen are trained in nonviolence and are sailing unarmed in a peaceful act of civil resistance against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

The ship is carrying things urgently needed including medical supplies, flour, rice, baby formula, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, crutches and children’s prosthetics.

Starvation

According to the latest report by Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 1.95 million people or about 93% of the population are facing acute food shortages due to more than 90 days of Israeli blockade on aid. The IPC went on to say Israel’s continued blockade “would likely result in further mass displacement within and across governorates”, as items essential for people’s survival will be depleted.

An Israeli- and U.S.-backed initiative called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was established last month to distribute aid, but its central hub collapsed into chaos just hours after opening on May 27. It has since been marred with even more controversy following deadly shootings at its aid distribution centers.

Israel has been accused of luring Palestinians to these centers and killing more than 100 of them in the past eight days. Israeli forces have killed more than 54,000 Palestinians since  October 2023.

Surveillance drone

Late on Tuesday night, a surveillance drone was seen hovering over the Madleen as it was approximately 42 miles (68km) outside Greek territorial waters. The drone was later identified as a Greek Hellenic Coastguard Heron, which continues to track the ship.

Who is on board?

There are 12 activists 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
• Pascal Maurieras – France
• Yanis Mhamdi – France
• Suayb Ordu – Turkiye
• Sergio Toribio – Spain
• Marco van Rennes – The Netherlands
• Reva Viard – France

Greta Thunberg told the Middle East Eye:

 “We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. “We have promised ourselves and we have promised the Palestinian people to do everything we can. When our governments are failing us … then it falls on us to step up and be the adults in the room. We are just human beings, very concerned about what’s happening, and do not accept what is going on.”

Pattern of Attacks

This is not the first time a humanitarian ship has been targeted. On May 2, another vessel attempting to deliver aid—The Conscience—was struck by drones in international waters off Malta. The FFC told Al Jazeera the attack caused a fire and blew a hole in the hull. The group accused Israel of carrying out the strike, though Israeli authorities did not respond to the allegations.

The incident echoed a deadly 2010 raid by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish-led aid ship that was part of a flotilla also attempting to break the Gaza blockade. Nine humanitarian volunteers were killed during the assault.

Israeli Response

Brigadier General Effie Edfrin, a spokesperson for the Israeli army, warned that Israel may intercept the Madleen before it reaches Gaza.

“We have gained experience in recent years, and we will act accordingly,” he told reporters when asked about the vessel. “We are well prepared.”

According to the Jerusalem Post, If the flotilla defies orders or provoke the IDF, the forces may take control of the vessel and arrest the protesters, transferring them to the Ashdod port, where they will be deported. No further clarification was given on what the IDF considers provoking.  According to military sources, commando unit Shayetet 13 and the missile boat fleet are preparing for this scenario.

As the Madleen continues its journey toward Gaza, it carries more than just humanitarian supplies, it carries a message of global solidarity and civil resistance. In the face of surveillance, threats and the possibility of military interception, the activists aboard the flotilla are confronting one of the world’s longest-standing blockades with an act of defiance grounded in peace. Whether they reach their destination or not, their voyage has already drawn international attention to the deepening crisis in Gaza and the growing movement demanding an end to the siege.