Madleen

The June 2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla was an aid vessel organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) with the intention of breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and delivering aid in response to the famine and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The vessel, Madleen, departed from Catania, Sicily, on 1 June 2025 and contained baby formula, 100 kg (220 lb) of flour, 250 kg (550 lb) of rice, diapers, medical kits, and crutches. In the early hours of 9 June, Israeli forces intercepted, attacked with a chemical spray, boarded, and seized the Madleen in international waters, preventing it from reaching the Gaza Strip, and transported the twelve people on board to detention in Israel. The people onboard included Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan. The detained crew members were later deported from Israel.