The Madeleine ship: A Message of Solidarity with Gaza and resolve to break the Blockade.
According to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, the Madeleine ship is just hours away from reaching the Gaza Strip. The ship set sail from a port in southern Italy on Sunday, June 1, 2025. The ship is organized by the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza, which operates within the framework of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The coalition was formed in 2010 to break the siege of the Gaza Strip and has so far sent 36 ships on this route. The name “Madeleine” was chosen in honor of the Palestinian fisherman Madeleine, the first and youngest female fisherman in the Gaza Strip.
The ship is carrying limited but symbolic amounts of aid. International activists of various nationalities are on board the ship.
Amnesty International’s position
Amnesty International stated, The Freedom Flotilla must be allowed to continue its mission in complete safety, away from any attacks or intimidation. There is no justification for preventing aid from reaching Gaza in the face of the catastrophic levels of hunger and suffering in one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian disasters. The Israeli authorities must immediately lift the illegal blockade imposed on Gaza and allow life-saving humanitarian aid and relief to flow in without any restrictions. The ongoing massacre in Gaza must stop.
When Madeleine arrives in Gaza
“The Madeleine” will arrive in Gaza on Monday morning, said German human rights activist Yasmine Akar. “We are carrying aid, but others are sending weapons.”
This comes as activists on board the ship have announced that the ship is about 250 miles from the shores of the besieged Gaza Strip. The ship’s GPS indicates that the ship is approaching the Egyptian coast opposite the city of Alexandria.
200 MEPs express solidarity with Madeleine
Reema Hassan, a French MEP who is on board the ship, has published an open letter on the social network X (formerly Twitter), which has been signed by more than 200 MEPs.
In the letter, the MEPs called for the safety of the passengers of the Madeleine, a ship belonging to the Freedom Flotilla coalition, which is heading to the Gaza Strip to provide humanitarian aid. They also stressed the need to ensure the safety of the ship to reach the Gaza Strip and to issue the necessary permits for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the region.
Canadian Prime Minister’s appeal
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called for support for Madeleine and for urgent measures to ensure the safety of the Freedom Flotilla.
Michael Boukret of the Coalition of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East said: “The Madeleine is not a threat, but a lifeline for a people besieged and at risk of starvation and mass killing.” If Canada claims to support a principles-based international order, it must do something.