Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international group, has said that one of its boats left the Italian port of Catania on Sunday, heading to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. This follows a previous attempt that was stopped after another flotilla was attacked by drones in the Mediterranean.

 

The volunteer crew includes climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham, who played Davos Seaworth role in Game of Thrones. They are traveling on the ship Madleen, carrying barrels of what the group called “limited amounts, though symbolic,” of relief supplies.

 

Earlier, another FFC boat called the Conscience was hit by two drones near Malta in early May. FFC blamed Israel for the attack.

 

Greta Thunberg spoke before the trip, saying, “We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity.”

 

She also added, “No matter how dangerous this mission is, it is nowhere near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the lives being genocided.”

 

FFC said the trip “is not charity. This is a non-violent, direct action to challenge Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes.”

 

The United Nations said on Friday that the situation in Gaza is the worst since October 7, 2023, even though some limited aid deliveries have started again. Israel ended an 11-week blockade on Gaza and allowed some UN-led aid operations to continue.

 

On Monday, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began work. It is supported by the United States and Israel. However, the UN and many international aid groups refuse to work with it, saying it is not neutral and its aid distribution forces some Palestinians to move.