Greta Thunberg on a dangerous mission: sailing ship Madleen to the Gaza Strip!

Greta Thunberg on a dangerous mission: sailing ship Madleen to the Gaza Strip!

Gazastreifen, Palästina - On June 8, 2025, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and her team from the human rights group "Freedom Flotilla" made a new attempt to reach the Gaza Strip. The "Madleen" sailing ship broke out from Sicily on June 6th to transport symbolic relief goods such as rice and baby food. Thunberg had already started a similar use in May, but the ship had been damaged and the attempt was stopped. In view of the precarious situation on site, where the majority of 2.3 million inhabitants are threatened by hunger because of the Israeli blockade, the mission has a special urgency.

The Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz immediately responded to the arrival of the ship. He gave the army the order to prevent the “Madleen” from reaching the Gaza Strip. Katz described Thunberg as an "anti -Semitin" and emphasized that it was not desired that the ship was fitting. He warned that Israel will take action against every attempt to break through the blockade or to support terrorist organizations. Katz underpinned that the blockade for the national security of Israel was essential to prevent the arms transfer to Hamas.

The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip

The humanitarian location in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. Amnesty International has documented the human rights situation in the region for decades and calls for compliance with international law and the protection of all civilians. The international pressure on Israel is growing, especially in view of the violent conflicts of recent years, in which, according to Amnesty, more than 50,100 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, including over 17,000 children. This violence also affected numerous civilians in Israel, where Hama's war crimes committed on October 7, 2023, which cost almost 1,200 lives.

The United Nations and various human rights organizations have repeatedly pointed out the associated challenges. The civilian population suffers from the destruction of the infrastructure, while the blockade makes humanitarian aid extremely difficult. More than 1.9 million Palestinians were sold within the Gaza Strip, and access to basic services such as water and health care is severely restricted. As a result, Amnesty calls for a permanent ceasefire to improve the living conditions of civilians and end the genocide.

Katz ’aggressive rhetoric and the military measures against activists such as Thunberg are also a challenge for international dialogue. The criticism of the Israeli policy of blockade and military interventions in the Gaza strip has increased in recent years, especially with regard to the repeated reported human rights violations.

Overall, the situation around the ship “Madleen” illustrates the complex and tense conditions in the Middle East and the difficulties on the way to a permanent peace between Israel and Palestine. The way to comply with human rights and the end of violence remains a central topic for the international community, such as Amnesty International documented.