Sign with the slogan All Eyes On Deck, depicting the humanitarian ship Madleen on its way to Gaza during a demonstration organized by political, trade union and community organizations in support of the Palestinian people in the face of Israel s blockade of the Gaza Strip in Toulouse, southwest France.
Image: Pat Batard / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
A humanitarian vessel that is on course for Gaza is under drone surveillance and facing threats of seizure from Israeli authorities, raising alarm among international observers and human rights organisations.
The Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), set sail earlier this week carrying food, medical supplies, and 12 international activists, including Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan.
While we associate Thunberg with climate change, she and her crew are on a new and crucial mission: to break Israel’s more than 90-day-long total blockade of Gaza and deliver critical aid to a population facing catastrophic shortages.
There are 12 activists on board the Madleen:
Greta Thunberg – Swedish climate activist
Rima Hassan – French-Palestinian Member of European Parliament
Yasemin Acar – Germany
Omar Faiad – France
Pascal Maurieras – France
Marco van Rennes – The Netherlands
Reva Viard – France
Yanis Mhamdi – France
Suayb Ordu – Turkiye
Sergio Toribio – Spain
Baptiste Andre – France
Thiago Avila – Brazil
As the boat approached the eastern Mediterranean, the crew reported being repeatedly shadowed by a Heron UAV, which is a high-altitude, long-endurance surveillance drone manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries.
The drone is believed to be operated by the Greek coastguard under a bilateral agreement with Israel.
According to Ávila, the drone passed directly above the boat. “This is a critical threat, especially considering a Freedom Flotilla vessel was bombed under similar circumstances last month off the coast of Malta.”
Tensions escalated further on Wednesday, when Israeli media reported that senior defence officials were preparing to intercept the Madleen and potentially arrest the crew. “We are prepared,” said Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin in an interview with The Times, adding that they "will act accordingly.”
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz is expected to announce a formal decision regarding the ship’s fate within days.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the vessel will be barred from entering Gazan waters, regardless of its civilian and humanitarian nature.
Where is the Madleen ship now?
At the time of publishing, the Madleen is located south of Crete, where it made a temporary diversion to rescue four Sudanese asylum seekers from a distressed vessel. The ship’s crew includes trained rescue personnel and is operating in communication with search-and-rescue NGOs. The rescued individuals, who fled violence in Sudan, are at risk of being returned to Libya — a move the FFC says would be illegal under international refugee protections.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and several UN special rapporteurs, have called for the Madleen’s safe passage, warning that any attempt to sabotage or intercept the vessel could amount to a violation of international humanitarian law.
“This is a civilian-led mission delivering life-saving aid,” Amnesty International France stated. “Any attack or interference would be a knowing and unlawful assault on civilians.”
Humanitarian organisations are not the only ones speaking out. An online campaign organised by the FFC has generated nearly 500,000 letters demanding that Israel allow the ship to proceed unimpeded.
Despite the growing threats, the crew insists the mission will continue. “We are carrying food, not weapons,” said Ávila. “But we are being tracked as if we are a military target. This is about saving lives — and we are being threatened for that.”
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