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<div class="gmail-inner-article-top"><h1 class="gmail-">Gaza Freedom Flotilla reaches Egyptian coast</h1><p class="gmail-">Israeli
authorities have pledged to halt the Madleen, which is transporting a
dozen activists seeking to breach the siege of Gaza</p><div class="gmail-another-name"><p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9" style="color:rgb(164,4,4)">News Desk</a></p></div><div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px"><p><span style="color:rgb(84,88,94)">JUN 7, 2025 - </span><font size="1"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/gaza-freedom-flotilla-reaches-egyptian-coast">https://thecradle.co/articles/gaza-freedom-flotilla-reaches-egyptian-coast</a></font></p></div></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img src="https://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/460d3c02-43b1-11f0-b00d-00163e02c055.jpeg" alt="" width="467" height="263" style="margin-right: 0px;"><span>(Photo credit: Getty Images)</span></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-content"><div class="gmail-row"><div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7"><div class="gmail-article-content"><span class="gmail-article-body"><p><span style="background-color:transparent">The
Madleen ship, carrying 12 activists, including environmental activist
Greta Thunberg, reached the Egyptian coast on 7 June en route to Gaza
with the aim of breaking Israel\u2019s naval blockade of the strip.</span></p><p><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/gaza-freedom-flotilla-sets-sail-from-italy-with-greta-thunberg-susan-sarandon-onboard"><span style="background-color:transparent">Launched</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent">
by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) from Sicily on 1 June, the
small vessel is carrying a limited amount of humanitarian aid to the
starving population of Gaza.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent">On
board are rights advocates, lawmakers, and medical volunteers,
including European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who has urged
governments to \u201cguarantee safe passage\u201d for the vessel, warning that an
Israeli interception would violate international humanitarian law.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent">\u201cWe
are now sailing off the Egyptian coast. We are all good,\u201d German human
rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP by phone on 8 June.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent">The Madleen set sail about one month after an Israeli drone strike </span><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-drone-bombs-gaza-freedom-flotilla-near-malta-coast"><span style="background-color:transparent">targeted</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent"> another flotilla vessel, the Conscience, forcing Cyprus and Malta to dispatch rescue ships.</span></p><div class="gmail-twitter-tweet gmail-twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"></div> <p><span style="background-color:transparent">Organizers
from the London-based International Committee for Breaking the Siege of
Gaza have warned that any attempt to stop the Madleen would constitute
\u201ca blatant violation of international humanitarian law.\u201d </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent">Despite
this, Israeli officials have publicly stated that the Madleen will not
be allowed to reach Gaza, with reports in Israeli media quoting military
sources saying the vessel </span><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-navy-gears-up-to-block-high-profile-protest-ship-headed-for-gaza/?utm_campaign=most_popular&utm_source=website&utm_me"><span style="background-color:transparent">will be intercepted</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent">
before entering the coastal enclave\u2019s territorial waters. However,
there has been no formal statement on the timing or location of the
planned interception.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent">In previous cases, Israeli forces have boarded and seized similar ships, towing them to the port of Ashdod and </span><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-deports-activists-on-womens-boat-for-gaza/"><span style="background-color:transparent">detaining</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent"> the activists on board.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent">\u201cWe
are not violating any law. On the contrary, we are standing up for
humanitarian law,\u201d Acar said in a live update from the ship.</span></p></span></div></div></div></div>
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