Overview

• On June 1, Thunberg and 11 fellow activists, including actor Liam Cunningham and MEP Rima Hassan, departed Catania aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s vessel Madleen.
• Organizers say the mission will carry food, medical supplies and baby formula to challenge Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
• The World Health Organization reports that three-quarters of Gaza’s roughly two million residents are in severe need of food and face the threat of famine.
• Last month’s flotilla attempt by the vessel Conscience was aborted after it suffered an alleged drone strike in international waters, a claim Israel has neither confirmed nor denied.
• Israel maintains its blockade to pressure Hamas for the release of hostages taken on October 7, 2023, and dismisses genocide accusations as an antisemitic “blood libel.”