June 2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla

A Freedom Flotilla Coalition voyage aboard the yacht Madleen that attempted to deliver aid to Gaza and was intercepted by Israeli forces on June 9, 2025.

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Madleen: A yacht used by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition for its June 2025 voyage toward Gaza. The vessel carried the delegation and its symbolic aid cargo.
International waters: Sea areas beyond any state's territorial sea, governed principally by the law of the sea. The location of the interception became central to arguments about Israel’s authority.
Gaza Freedom Flotilla: A series of international civilian maritime initiatives seeking to challenge restrictions on access to Gaza. The 2025 voyage continued this campaign’s use of boats to contest the blockade.
Deportation: The formal removal of a noncitizen from a country by its authorities. Several passengers faced removal from Israel after being detained.
Greta Thunberg: A Swedish climate activist known for organizing school strikes and campaigning on climate change. She joined the Madleen voyage and helped bring it international attention.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A treaty establishing a legal framework for maritime zones, navigation, and ocean use. Its rules inform the dispute over interception beyond territorial waters.
Gaza flotilla raid: The 2010 Israeli interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, during which nine passengers were killed aboard the Mavi Marmara. The raid became the defining precedent invoked in discussions of later flotillas.
Humanitarian aid to Gaza: Food, medicine, shelter, and other assistance delivered to civilians in Gaza during crisis conditions. The voyage’s stated purpose was to bring a small shipment of aid to Gaza.
Rima Hassan: A French politician and lawyer of Palestinian descent who has advocated for Palestinian rights. She was among the passengers detained after the interception.
Maritime blockade: A wartime measure that restricts maritime traffic to or from an opposing coast or territory. Israel treated the vessel as attempting to breach a blockade.