The Freedom Flotilla Coalition—the boats delivering aid into Gaza—has been under constant attack by the Israeli military ever since before October 7, compounding the effects of its manufactured famine on the Palestinian people of Gaza.
The illegal Israeli blockade: The reason why aid is not getting into Gaza
In addition to the Israeli occupation of its territory, Gaza has endured a brutal land, sea, and air blockade imposed by Israel since 2007, which has been dramatically intensified since October 2023. This blockade restricts the flow of food, medicine, fuel, and essential goods, creating a man-made humanitarian crisis.
Since the collapse of the most recent ceasefire in March 2025, Israel has completely sealed off all humanitarian aid to Gaza, cutting off food, water, medical supplies, and fuel, despite international law obligations. This has led to widespread starvation, medical shortages, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, pushing Gaza’s population to the brink of death. On May 4, 2025, United Nations experts warned that the entirety of the Gaza Strip is at the risk of famine. On May 6, 2025, Philippe Lazzarini—Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)—went as far as calling the current state of the Israeli blockade of Gaza, “an expression of absolute cruelty.”
Gaza’s population and death toll under Israeli occupation
As recently as 2023, Gaza’s population was estimated to be between 2.2 and 2.3 million people—with nearly half of them children—making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world. However, in February 2025, two years into Israel’s genocidal military campaign in Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump shocked the world by sharing a plan to “relocate” 1.7 million Gazans to a new area.
Trump’s statement was alarming for two main reasons:
- Human rights scholars and international agencies have rightly pointed out that such a plan would constitute ethnic cleansing.
- If only 1.7 million people remain in Gaza according to Trump’s February 2025 claim, then the question arises: what happened to the missing 400,000 to 500,000 people from his numbers?
In July 2024, the Lancet—a science journal—published an academic study titled “Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential.” In the study, the Lancet states, “it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.”
Donald Trump’s February 2025 comments combined with the death toll estimate presented by the Lancet, paint a horrific picture of Gaza’s current reality. A reality where extreme population density and an inhumane illegal blockade compounds the devastating consequences of ongoing violence and displacement which Palestinans in Gaza are subjected to at the hands of Israel—an occupying force.
It is important to keep in mind that Article 55 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 mandates that under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), an occupying power has a duty to ensure food and medical supplies of the population it occupies. Therefore, under IHL, Israel’s actions—including but not limited to restricting aid and using starvation and lack of medical supplies as a weapon of war—are categorically illegal. However, we live in a time when calling this spade a spade has been miscategorized by many of Israel’s allies as anti-semitism, ignoring calls by leading Jewish Israeli scholars, like Raz Segal, who have repeatedly called Israel’s actions in Gaza, “a textbook case of genocide.” Hence, it is not surprising that many leading scholars and activists have been calling on the international community to act, and act with expediency to break the illegal Israeli blockade on Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition: Origin, goals, and legality
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)—a grassroots international civil society initiative—formed in 2010 to challenge the blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian aid directly by sea. The FFC is composed of human rights activists, medical professionals, lawyers, journalists, artists, trade union leaders, and politicians from over 20 countries, who call for solidarity with Gazans.
The FFC aims to break the illegal blockade, deliver urgently needed aid, and amplify Palestinian voices globally—with a focus on Gazan’s needs and priorities. The flotilla’s ships carry essential supplies and multiple international observers to document conditions and pressure governments to end the siege on Gaza. The coalition asserts its legal right to free passage in international waters under international maritime law and recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders, demanding Israel respect humanitarian access.
The FFC’s efforts began in 2010 with the Mavi Marmara Aid Flotilla, which sought to draw attention to the blockade’s human cost on the people of Gaza. Unfortunately, the Mavi Marmara mission ended in tragedy when Israeli forces attacked the vessel in international waters, killing 10 activists and injuring many others. Israeli soldiers attacked the vessel at 4:30am on May 31, 2010 by rappelling down from helicopters firing without hesitation, beating activists even after taking control of the ship, restricting the passengers use of the bathrooms, and confiscating valuable footage of the Israeli attack recorded by courageous activists on board. Palestinian-Canadian activist and filmmaker Rifat Audeh was one of those brave souls onboard who later went on to release a documentary on the Israeli raid of the Mavi Marmara Aid Flotilla titled, “The Truth: Lost at Sea”.
Since then, multiple flotillas have attempted to challenge the siege, but with limited success due to Israeli military interception. However, each mission has strengthened international solidarity and exposed the sheer brutality with which Israel continues to maintain and enforce its illegal blockade on Gaza.
The Conscience—Israel’s attack on the 2025 Freedom Flotilla
The latest Freedom Flotilla set sail from Tunisia in late April 2025. The vessel named, “the Conscience” was enroute to Malta so 13 activists waiting to board the ship can join the humanitarian mission. However, on May 2, 2025—around 25-kilometres off the coast of Malta—two drones attacked the ship in international waters causing a fire on board and a significant breach in the hull, rendering it disabled. Loud bangs can be heard and fiery scenes can be observed in the video uploaded by the FFC. The attack is widely attributed to Israel, continuing a fitting pattern of targeting humanitarian missions challenging its illegal blockade on Gaza. To much relief of activists and the crew onboard the vessel, no casualties were reported this time around.
One of the 13 activists awaiting the Conscience’s arrival in Malta was Greta Thunberg—world famous climate change activist—who posted a moving video aboard a boat in international waters with the Conscience in the background. In the video, Greta Thunberg criticized Israel’s deliberate starvation of Gazans and the international community’s lack of action.
After being stranded in international waters for days due to the back and forth between the ship’s captain and the Maltese government, the Conscience was finally able to dock at Maltese port so volunteers could travel back home. The attack on the Conscience again highlights how the diplomatic cover which Israel enjoys from its allies—predominantly Western allies from the Global North—has provided Israel carte blanche to attack humanitarian workers and aid missions without any fear of repercussions.
Even though the attack has rattled many in the international aid community, the FFC remains committed to their mission of providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. They are preparing to launch a new flotilla mission on a vessel named Madleen. Madleen was named after a Palestinian fisherwoman in 2014 and remains a powerful symbol of resistance. In their May 15, 2025 press release, the FFC said, “We will not be deterred. We will not be silenced. Gaza must live—and freedom must sail.”
What can we do?
There is a lot we can do and the list below is not exhaustive:
- Call on Governments to Act: Urge Canadian and other governments to hold Israel accountable to international law, support humanitarian access, and end military aid that enables the blockade. Call and email your representatives and demand an arms embargo and sanctions on the Israeli state.
- Call Out Media Bias: The silence of the international press when it comes to their reporting on Palestine is shameful. The FFC encourages its supporters to, “Confront the media blockade that shields Israeli aggression and silences Palestinian voices.” If you hear news media misrepresent the established facts on the ground, if you see them platform guests who dehumanize or erase Palestinian suffering, then write to the channel and express your disappointment and dissatisfaction with their refusal to meet journalistic standards.
- Advocate for the ICJ Ruling: Follow and amplify the International Court of Justice’s upcoming advisory opinion to strengthen legal accountability. Even though it can take the ICJ a few months to come up with a ruling, we must continually demand that our governments work with the court to uphold international humanitarian law’s legal principles.
- Raise Awareness: Share information about Israel’s blockade on Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla’s mission to break the silence around Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
The Freedom Flotilla is more than a ship carrying aid, it is a symbol of resistance against occupation, settler colonialism, and collective punishment. As the Israel-led genocide in Gaza rages on, international solidarity remains a vital lifeline and a call to action for justice. As the FFC says on their website, “The more people watching and acting, the safer our volunteers.”
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