A ship from the Freedom Flotilla, carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and several others, is set to depart from Italy to Gaza on Sunday to deliver humanitarian aid to the region, according to an Italian politician.
The vessel is expected to leave from the port of Catania in Sicily, with approximately ten individuals on board, including Thunberg, as stated by Marco Grimaldi, a representative of the “Green and Left Alliance,” which has provided logistical and administrative support for the ship’s voyage.
Established in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla is a non-violent international movement aimed at solidarity with Palestinians, focusing on humanitarian efforts and opposing the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Grimaldi expressed that the ship “represents public opinion, and we are working to amplify that voice.”
Journalist Andrea Linnei, who is aboard the sailing vessel “Madeleine,” reported that it is transporting “fruit juice, milk, rice, canned goods, and protein bars contributed by hundreds of residents of Catania.”
French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan announced on Thursday that she would also be on the ship, indicating that the mission has “multiple objectives: condemning the humanitarian blockade, addressing ongoing genocide, highlighting the impunity granted to the state of Israel, and raising international awareness.”
Thunberg, known for her climate protests in Sweden, was initially scheduled to travel to Gaza in early May on a vessel operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, but that ship was damaged during its journey.
Activists suspect that the incident may have been caused by an Israeli drone.
Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip on March 2, preventing any humanitarian aid from entering just days before resuming military action after a fragile ceasefire of nearly two months in the conflict with Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, following an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian group on southern Israel.
Last week, Israel allowed a resumption of aid into the region; however, the state is facing increasing international pressure over the deepening humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations confirming that the entire area is at risk of famine and stating that the allowed aid amounts to little more than “a drop in the ocean.