Greta Thunberg: Extension from Israel after a failed aid use!

Greta Thunberg: Extension from Israel after a failed aid use!

This day, Greta Thunberg and eleven other activists have received the instructions to leave Israel. According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the activists who were part of the Gaza solidarity ship "Madleen" have arrived at the Ben-Gurion airport to return to their home countries. The group refused to sign the show documents, which led to a hearing in front of a judicial authority. The ship "Madleen", which is operated by the activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was intercepted on Monday morning by the Israeli army after stabbing from Sicily on June 1st with the aim of bringing humanitarian emergency deliveries into the Gaza Strip.

The mission of the activists should not only provide relief supplies such as baby food and medical care, but also draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Thunberg had previously emphasized how important it was to enter despite the dangers of humanitarian aid. Nevertheless, the previous help is not sufficient: reports of the UN have only been transported to 4,600 tons of wheat flour in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli auxiliary blocking was lifted, while estimated 8,000 to 10,000 tons are required to alleviate the acute despair of the population.

devastating location in the Gaza Strip

The Situation on site is dramatic. According to the current information, the 2 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip urgently need food; The previous amount of flour is just enough for eight days of bread. According to current Palestinian media reports, three rescue workers and a journalist have now died in Gaza City while they were concerned. At the same time, the Israeli military continues to carry out operations against "terrorist organizations" in the Gaza Strip. The conflict has already requested thousands of victims: after an attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, around 1,200 people were killed and more than 251 kidnapped. Thereupon Israel started an offensive, which among other things cost the life of over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

The international reactions to the humanitarian crisis are shared. The International Red Cross demands that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are maintaining, while Egypt accuses the Israeli approach to use hunger as a weapon. The Egyptian government has positioned itself as an intermediary and demands from both sides to immediately implement the next phase of the ceasefire. The blockade that Israel currently receives is justified with the refusal of Hamas to accept an extension of the fire break.

growing solidarity and future strategies

Despite the adversity, the activists around Greta Thunberg have announced that they would not give up their mission. Thiago Avila, another activist, announced a broader strategy to break the blockade of Gaza to both land and water. Among other things, this initiative includes planning a Global March to Gaza in June. Thunberg had already tried in May 2025 to get into the Gaza Strip with another ship, but this failed due to an attack on the ship.

The activists and humanitarian organizations face enormous challenges in view of these complex and tense situation. The blockades and military clashes make it difficult to deliver urgently needed relief goods, which further tightens the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Committed international votes therefore require an immediate relief of the blockages to secure basic needs in Gaza.