Israel's will: Madleen activists around Greta Thunberg!

Israel's will: Madleen activists around Greta Thunberg!

Aschdod, Israel - Israel has now shown activists from the Gaza solidarity ship "Madleen", which arrived in the port city of Aschdod on Monday evening after it was intercepted by the Israeli Navy. Among the passengers was the well -known climate activist Greta Thunberg, who intended to bring relief goods with the mission to the Gaza strip. The crew, which set sail from Catania in Italy on Sunday, June 1, 2025, was welcomed at the Ben-Gurion airport and was to return to her home countries on Tuesday after being confronted with expulsion documents. The refusal to sign this led to a demonstration in front of a judicial authority, such as ZVW

The ship "Madleen", operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, had the goal of breaking the blockade of Israel and drawing international attention to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. According to AP News , the ship transported baby food and medical goods. Thunberg emphasized how important it was to try to improve the situation despite the challenges.

a dangerous undertaking

The activists on board, including actor Liam Cunningham and French MP Rima Hassan, were aware of the risks. The attempt to get to Gaza was not the first for Thunberg; In May, a previous ship was attacked by the Israeli Navy during the trip to international waters. Israel took responsibility for this incident, the part of a more comprehensive conflict that began on October 7, 2023 with an attack by Hamas on Israel. This attack led to over 1,200 deaths and 251 kidnappings. In response to this, Israel started an offensive, which cost more than 52,000 Palestinians, as well as br

In the past few weeks, Israel had slightly relaxed the blockade of Gaza and approved a limited amount of humanitarian aid. Nevertheless, experts warn of threatening famine if there is no longer help. The international pressure on Israel is growing, especially in the context of reports on the humanitarian situation and the restrictions on the delivery of relief goods.

reactions and next steps

After the arrival of the "Madleen" in Aschdod, the crew was brought to safe accommodation. Consuln from several countries, including Germany, offered consular support. France's President Emmanuel Macron demanded the rapid return of the six French citizens who were among the activists. The conflict is still intensively in the focus of international discussions, with a threat of mobilization of global movements that urge the reopening of the border to Gaza.

Thunberg and the other activists plan to continue to work for the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in the future and possibly set sail again in order to draw attention to the grievances that are still tightened by the blockade and the ongoing conflicts.