What to know
- On June 9, 2025, 12 activists, including Sweden's Greta Thunberg, were aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Madleen on a mission to deliver a small but symbolic humanitarian aid package, including small rations of rice and baby food, to demonstrate Gaza’s inability to access to essential resources.
- Israeli naval forces intercepted the Madleen in international waters, 125 miles from the coast of Gaza. One of the detained activists, Greta Thunberg, refused to sign a document admitting illegal entry and was deported.
- Israel called the mission a publicity stunt while maintaining that its blockade of Gaza is essential to preventing Hamas from accessing war resources.
Why it matters
The unsuccessful mission to deliver a symbolic humanitarian aid package to Gaza highlights the reality of war where hundreds of thousands of people continue to struggle to find food to eat. Supporters maintain the flotilla is a symptom of global dissatisfaction with the level of effort from governments and institutions to reduce the Gaza crisis, mobilizing civilians into tangible action, while the Israeli minister said the aid mission was a 'gimmick.'
Discussion question
Should symbolic action be taken as a way to address injustices? Why or why not?
A surveillance footage shows crew of the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht "Madleen," put their hands up as strong light came into the vessel, in this screengrab from a video released on June 9, 2025. Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Handout via Reuters
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