(October 12, 2025)
All those who were aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) vessel Conscience and the Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) sailboats have now been released from Israel’s unlawful detention. Most have been expelled, and none remain in the custody of the Israeli occupation.
A European Parliament lawmaker voiced concern Thursday about the detention of a colleague, Melissa Camara, by Israel after the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was attacked.
„This is about our colleague, our very highly esteemed colleague, Melissa Camara. She was on the Freedom Flotilla, and she was detained by the Israeli authorities,“ said Greens/European Free Alliance co-chair Bas Eickhout ahead of a vote session in the plenary sitting in Strasbourg.
Eickhout noted that Camara may have been transferred to a maximum-security prison, though it has not yet been confirmed.
Tom Hayes, 69, whom OU confirmed is an associate professor at the university, was aboard the vessel „Conscience“ when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy at around 6 p.m. UTC time on Oct. 8, according to the Freedom Flotilla Tracker, an open-source tool that has been tracking vessels attempting to break the siege around war-torn Gaza.
The vessel was intercepted and taken to the Israeli city of Ashdod, according to the tracker. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a grassroots group that organized the humanitarian trip, said in a press release Oct. 8 that the Conscience was boarded by Israeli Defense Forces.
Jewish freelance journalist Emily Wilder, reporting for Jewish Currents, a progressive Jewish publication, was detained by the Israeli military on Monday while covering an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.
Wilder set sail from Italy last week aboard The Conscious, one of dozens of boats that aimed to reach Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.
Also 18 Turkish citizens, detained aboard the ships of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, had been taken to Ketziot Detention Center in Israel, and Turkish Consulate officials were set to meet them face-to-face, they added.
The sources also emphasized that all necessary steps had been taken to ensure the Turkish citizens‘ return to their country as soon as possible, including the arrangement of a special flight.
The ‚Conscience‘ volunteers have likely been illegally abducted by Israel while in international waters on their way to open a sea corridor to Gaza. These are the volunteers from Germany.
The ‚Conscience‘ was sailing in accordance with international law, outside Israeli jurisdiction. We call on the German government and people to condemn this crime and to demand the immediate release of all abducted volunteers, as well as an end to Israel’s illegal blockade and ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Take action NOW :
• Tag, email, and call your Ministry of Foreign Affairs : +49 30 50000
X: @GermanyDiplo / @AuswaertigesAmt
Insta : @auswaertigesamt
• Join or organise a protest in your city
• Boycott Israeli products and companies
• Pressure your government to enforce an arms embargo and diplomatic sanctions on Israel
• Pressure institutions and your work place to divest from and sanction Israel
• Share this call widely on social media and with your network
The ‘Gaza Sunbirds’ crew were illegally intercepted and abducted by the Israel military.
We call on all our governments and people of conscience to condemn Israel‘s crimes, to demand the immediate release of all abducted crew, and to demand an end to Israel’s illegal blockade and ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Take action NOW:
• Tag, email, and call your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and elected officials
Join or organise a protest in your city
• Use the ‘RISEFOR’ campaign to pressure your government in 2 minutes
• Donate or join the next wave of flotilla (links in bio) – we will not stop until Palestine is free
• Share this call widely on social media and with your network
Oct 8, 2025 #BreakThe #ActNow #Conscience
We call on all our governments and people to condemn Israel’s crime of illegally intercepting our flotilla, and to demand the immediate release of all abducted crew. Our governments must end Israel’s illegal blockade and ongoing genocide of Gaza.
Take action NOW:
•Tag, email, and call your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and elected officials
• Join or organise a protest in your city
• Boycott Israeli products and companies
• Pressure your government to enforce an arms embargo and diplomatic sanctions on Israel
• Pressure institutions and your work place to divest from and sanction Israel
• Use the ‚RISEFOR‘ campaign (link in bio) to pressure your government in 2 minutes
• Donate or join the next wave of flotilla – we will not stop until Palestine is free. Share this call widely on social media and with your network
The ‘Abd Elkarim Eid’ crew were illegally intercepted and abducted by the Israel military.
We call on all our governments and people to condemn Israel‘s crimes, to demand the immediate release of all abducted crew, and to demand an end to Israel’s illegal blockade and ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Take action NOW:
• Tag, email, and call your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and elected officials
• Join or organise a protest in your city
• Use the ‘RISEFOR’ campaign to pressure your government in 2 minutes
• Donate or join the next wave of flotilla – we will not stop until Palestine is free
• Share this call widely on social media and with your network
#BreakTheSiege #ActNow #Conscience #GazaFreedomFlotilla #ThousandMadleensToGaza #FreePalestine
8 October 2025 – The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) confirm that three boat : Gaza Sunbirds, Alaa Al-Najajr, Anas Al-Sharif, have been attacked and illegally intercepted by the Israeli military at 04:34 at 120 nautical miles (220km) from Gaza.
Sources so far indicate that the unarmed crew aboard, including doctors, journalists, and elected officials, have been abducted, as well as the vital aid worth over $110,000 USD in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies that were destined for Gaza’s starving hospitals. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships,” David Heap, Canadian Boat to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla Coalition Steering Committee. “This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Our volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) says the Israeli military attacked its convoy of boats and intercepted several vessels as they were sailing towards Gaza.
The FFC said the military had attacked The Conscience – a boat carrying 93 journalists, doctors and activists – before it attacked and intercepted three smaller boats on Wednesday.
Its passengers were “being held in unknown conditions”, it said.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on X that a raid on the flotilla had taken place.
Started streaming on Oct 6, 2025
Live stream of the Conscience on its way to break the illegal blockade of Gaza.
Started streaming 4 hours ago
Follow the whole flotilla live :
Live 1 : Thousand Madleens : https://youtu.be/dS6p5rVgBuA
Live 2 : FFC Conscience : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSQcb…
Flotilla Tracker : https://thousandmadleens.fr/tracker
The next wave is already being prepared, help us buy the boats and get them ready to sail !
A new wave of ships heads towards Gaza to break the siege. Hear from someone onboard.
(September 27, 2025)
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) will launch a flotilla of 10 boats on Saturday, 27 September 2025 from San Giovanni Li Cuti harbour, Catania, Sicily, Italy.
(…)
This wave of boats follows the Madleen, Handala, and the dozens of boats that the FFC has sailed over the past 15 years, as well as the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla — all of which the Israeli military has repeatedly attacked. Together, these civilian missions signal that the demand to end Israel’s blockade cannot be silenced or deterred.
“Every boat we launch is a direct challenge to the blockade and a declaration of solidarity. We sail not as charity, but as part of the global struggle to end apartheid and affirm the right of the Palestinian people to live free.” Joint statement from FFC and TMTG.
As the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) nears the Gaza coastline, Al Jazeera takes a look at some of the past flotillas.
The Madleen
The Madleen was launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) on June 9, 2025.
Among the activists on board were Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, Brazil’s Thiago Avila and French MEP Rima Hassan.
All three are also on board this current GSF.
The Madleen was intercepted by the Israeli military about 185km (100 nautical miles) from Gaza, in international waters.
After the interception, activists on the boat were detained by Israel. Some were instantly deported, while others were held in detention before their deportation.
As the Global Sumud Flotilla nears the Gaza coastline, Al Jazeera takes a look back at some of the past flotillas.
The Handala
Israeli forces stormed the Gaza-bound flotilla, which was carrying aid to starving Palestinians, on July 26, 2025.
Activists on the Handala came from Australia, France, Iraq, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, the UK and the US.
Coordinators, organizers, and participants from the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition*, Global Movement to Gaza, and the Sumud Nusantara have united under a common goal: to break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor, and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. This Summer, dozens of boats will set sail from ports around the world, large and small, converging toward Gaza in the largest coordinated civilian flotilla in history.
(July 31, 2025)
This morning the final two Handala volunteers held in Givon Prison–Christian Smalls from the United States and Hatem Aouini from Tunisia–were freed via Jordan’s King Hussein/Allenby Bridge after five days of unlawful imprisonment in occupied Palestine. Both had been on hunger strike to protest mistreatment. Aouini was received by the Tunisian embassy at the border. Despite repeated requests for assistance, neither the U.S. Consulate nor U.S. Embassy officials met Christian at the border, even after being notified in advance of his arrival details.
With their release, all 21 volunteers abducted from the Handala in international waters have now been released from Israeli captivity.
SOS! The crew on ‚Handala‘ have been kidnapped by Israeli forces.
Chris Smalls is a citizen of the U.S.
Tag the U.S. Department of State NOW:
X: @StateDept and @SecRubio
FB: @U.S. Department of State
Instagram: @statedept @secrubio
Black Lives Matter Grassroots demands:
– The immediate release of Chris Smalls and all captured activists.
– The immediate end to the engineered famine and deliberate starving of the people in Gaza.
– An end to labor complicity with genocide.
We are asking all workers and people who believe in working class power to:
– Call the state department and demand the release of all those captured on the Freedom Flotilla.
– Email your Congressmembers asking them to demand the release of our people.
– Actively boycott pro-Israel companies.
– Pass resolutions and make official statements calling for an end to the genocide in Palestine.
– Raise awareness to the deliberate mass starvation, engineered famine, and genocide by making posts, engaging in political education, and disrupting spaces of complicity.
Meanwhile, there’s not a peep from mainstream media in the U.S.
(July 21, 2025)
Amazon Labor Union leader Chris Smalls is on the ‚Handala‘, the 37th ship to challenge Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza. Amazon has invested billions in intelligence like the Nimbus project, used for the surveillance and targeting of Palestinians.
Chris shares that “…an injury to one is injury to all,” calling on labor unions worldwide to fulfill their responsibility: to be the shield for the working class, which includes protecting Palestinian people, and urges unions to stop their shipments of arms to Israel, fuelling their genocide in Gaza.
“We come with baby food, toys, medicine, and hope — not just for Gaza, but for the future of our children in America back at home. The world is watching.”
Ange Sahuquet (France)
Ange Sahuquet is a French activist and engineer currently serving aboard the MV Handala, a ship sailing in solidarity with
Antonio La Picirella (Italy)
Antonio La Picirella was born in Bari in 1990 and raised within the social justice movements of Southern Italy.
Antonio Mazzeo (Italy)
Teacher, peace researcher, and journalist committed to peace, militarization, the environment, human rights, and the fight against mafia crime.
Bob Suberi (United States)
First generation Palestinian Jew, I was born in Los Angeles in 1948. My parents immigrated in 1938/39.
Braedon Peluso (United States)
Braedon Peluso is a seasoned sailor with over a decade of experience at sea, much of it dedicated to activism
Chloé Fiona Ludden (United Kingdom – France)
Chloé is a former United Nations staff member and scientist. She resigned from the UN to join the Freedom Flotilla
Christian Smalls (United States)
Christian Smalls is the founder of the Amazon Labor Union, the first independent, democratic, worker-led labor union in American History
Emma Fourreau (France – Sweden)
Emma Fourreau (born 1999 in France) is a French-Swedish politician, environmental activist and member of La France Insoumise (LFI).
Frank Romano (United States – France)
DR. FRANK ROMANO earned a PhD at University of Paris I, Panthéon Sorbonne, and a JD at Golden Gate University,
Gabrielle Cathala (France)
My name is Gabrielle Cathala, I am 33 years old. I was elected as a Member of Parliament
Hatem Aouini (Tunisia)
Hatem Aouini, 50 years old, Tunisian, Father of Nidhal 20 years and to Yasmine 13 years, is an Internationalist activist;
Huwaida Arraf (United States)
Huwaida Arraf is a Palestinian-American civil/human rights attorney and social justice activist. She has been involved in legal, political, …
Jacob Berger (United States)
Jacob Berger is a 40 year old tv/film actor, viral content creator and Jewish-American activist very active in the Palestinian..
Justine Kempf (France)
Justine Kempf worked as a nurse for Doctors Without Borders during a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, …
Mohamed El Bakkali (Morocco)
Mohamed El Bakkali is a journalist with Al Jazeera, originally from Morocco and currently based in Paris.
Robert Martin (Australia)
Robert Martin knew the only way to uncover the truth was to go to Palestine and see it for himself.
Santiago González Vallejo (Spain)
Born, Madrid, 1956. Economist by profession, former trade unionist, now retired. Co-founder of the Committee for Solidarity with the Arab …
Tan Safi (Australia)
Tan was born in Gadigal country to parents who fled Lebanon after surviving the Israeli invasions in the 70s …
Vigdis Bjorvand (Norway)
Vigdis Bjorvand is a 70-year-old activist from Norway whose unwavering commitment to justice has spanned nearly five decades.
Waad Al Musa (United States – Iraq)
Waad Aal Musa is an Iraqi-American journalist and accomplished cameraman currently working with Al Jazeera.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirms that its civilian vessel Handala, en route to break Israel’s illegal, genocidal blockade on Palestinians in Gaza, has been violently intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters about forty nautical miles from Gaza. At 11:43 Palestine time the Occupation cut the cameras on board Handala and we have lost all communication with our ship.
Ange Sahuquet (France)
Ange Sahuquet is a French activist and engineer currently serving aboard the MV Handala, a ship sailing in solidarity with
Antonio La Picirella (Italy)
Antonio La Picirella was born in Bari in 1990 and raised within the social justice movements of Southern Italy.
Antonio Mazzeo (Italy)
Teacher, peace researcher, and journalist committed to peace, militarization, the environment, human rights, and the fight against mafia crime.
Bob Suberi (United States)
First generation Palestinian Jew, I was born in Los Angeles in 1948. My parents immigrated in 1938/39.
Braedon Peluso (United States)
Braedon Peluso is a seasoned sailor with over a decade of experience at sea, much of it dedicated to activism
Chloé Fiona Ludden (United Kingdom – France)
Chloé is a former United Nations staff member and scientist. She resigned from the UN to join the Freedom Flotilla
Christian Smalls (United States)
Christian Smalls is the founder of the Amazon Labor Union, the first independent, democratic, worker-led labor union in American History
Emma Fourreau (France – Sweden)
Emma Fourreau (born 1999 in France) is a French-Swedish politician, environmental activist and member of La France Insoumise (LFI).
Frank Romano (United States – France)
DR. FRANK ROMANO earned a PhD at University of Paris I, Panthéon Sorbonne, and a JD at Golden Gate University,
Gabrielle Cathala (France)
My name is Gabrielle Cathala, I am 33 years old. I was elected as a Member of Parliament
Hatem Aouini (Tunisia)
Hatem Aouini, 50 years old, Tunisian, Father of Nidhal 20 years and to Yasmine 13 years, is an Internationalist activist;
Huwaida Arraf (United States)
Huwaida Arraf is a Palestinian-American civil/human rights attorney and social justice activist. She has been involved in legal, political, …
Jacob Berger (United States)
Jacob Berger is a 40 year old tv/film actor, viral content creator and Jewish-American activist very active in the Palestinian..
Justine Kempf (France)
Justine Kempf worked as a nurse for Doctors Without Borders during a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, …
Mohamed El Bakkali (Morocco)
Mohamed El Bakkali is a journalist with Al Jazeera, originally from Morocco and currently based in Paris.
Robert Martin (Australia)
Robert Martin knew the only way to uncover the truth was to go to Palestine and see it for himself.
Santiago González Vallejo (Spain)
Born, Madrid, 1956. Economist by profession, former trade unionist, now retired. Co-founder of the Committee for Solidarity with the Arab …
Tan Safi (Australia)
Tan was born in Gadigal country to parents who fled Lebanon after surviving the Israeli invasions in the 70s …
Vigdis Bjorvand (Norway)
Vigdis Bjorvand is a 70-year-old activist from Norway whose unwavering commitment to justice has spanned nearly five decades.
Waad Al Musa (United States – Iraq)
Waad Aal Musa is an Iraqi-American journalist and accomplished cameraman currently working with Al Jazeera.
(July 20, 2025)
Just hours before launching, Handala was the target of two deeply alarming incidents that appear to be deliberate sabotage intended to obstruct our mission and harm our crew.
On the night of July 19 or early morning July 20, a rope was discovered tightly wound around the boat’s propeller. This could not have occurred through normal use or by accident. It was a direct threat to the safety of our vessel and its ability to sail.
Even more dangerous, on the morning of July 20, the truck sent to deliver fresh water to our boat for washing and cooking on the journey, carried not water, but sulfuric acid. It splashed on a crew member’s leg, causing chemical burns. Another crew member who smelled the substance and opened the container sustained burns to his hand.
We have video footage of the individuals who delivered this dangerous substance. We call for an immediate investigation and full accountability for these acts.
Despite this suspected sabotage, we remain undeterred. The attempt to harm our team and silence this mission will not succeed.
The departure was marred by two alarming acts of suspected sabotage. In the hours leading up to the launch, crew members discovered a rope tightly wound around the vessel’s propeller. The coalition said the incident was unlikely to have occurred accidentally and posed a significant threat to the ship’s ability to sail safely.
In a second incident, a truck delivering what was supposed to be fresh water for the voyage instead carried sulfuric acid. Two crew members suffered chemical burns, with one sustaining injuries to his hand after opening the container, and another to his leg from splashing liquid.
Siracusa, Italy — On July 13, 2025 the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) will launch Handala—a civilian boat setting out to challenge Israel’s illegal, deadly blockade of Gaza. The vessel will carry life-saving humanitarian aid and a message of solidarity from people around the world refusing to stay silent as Gaza is starved, bombed, and buried under rubble.
This mission comes just weeks after Israel’s illegal attack on the Madleen, another Freedom Flotilla boat illegally seized by Israel in international waters. Twelve unarmed civilians—including a Member of the European Parliament, a doctor, journalists and human rights defenders—were abducted by Israeli commandos and taken against their will to Israel, where they were interrogated, abused, then deported. Their “crime”? Attempting to bring food, medicine, and solidarity to Palestinians under siege.
We are not backing down.
(…)
Started streaming 42 minutes ago
Rima Hassan, the EU MP, was deported on Thursday, along with Mark van Rennes from the Netherlands, Suayb Ordu from Turkey, Yasemin Acar from Germany, Thiago Avila from Brazil, and Reva Viard from France.
Human rights group Adalah said two others, Pascal Maurieras and Yanis Mhamdi, both French nationals, are still being held at the Givon prison and were expected to be deported on Friday.
Four others, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were deported on Tuesday.
(June 10, 2025)
Activist Greta Thunberg arrived in Paris after being deported from Israel on Tuesday and called for more actions to support aid efforts for Gaza. Speaking upon arrival at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Freedom Flotilla.