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Perhaps the only surprise about the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Madleen mission is that there have not been more attempts to breach the inhumane blockade of Gaza during the last 20 months of Israel’s genocide.

Those on board have demonstrated considerable courage. Fifteen years ago last month, Israeli commandos boarded the Turkish vessel the Mavi Marmara. In the process, Israeli forces killed 10 activists. A UN inquiry determined that Israel’s actions were “unlawful,” including willful killing and torture, and that its forces “displayed an unacceptable level of brutality.” As always, Israel dismissed these findings and nobody was ever held accountable.

Most recently, in May, activists on another freedom flotilla blamed Israeli drones for bombing a vessel, the Conscience, in international waters off the coast of Malta. It is hard to imagine that any party other than Israel had the motivation and means to do this.

Those on board the Madleen, a boat named after a Gazan fisherwoman and which left Sicily on June 1, have an even more just cause. The situation in Gaza in 2010 was dreadful, but in 2025 it is an altogether new level of hell. Practically everything in Gaza has been destroyed or damaged. The health infrastructure has been targeted and brought to its knees. Israel has imposed a crippling siege, using starvation as a weapon of war. The latest full siege lasted 80 days before, grudgingly, the Israeli leadership bowed to international pressure and allowed the UN and other agencies to send in a few truckloads of aid. The reality is that such organizations are warning of state-imposed famine.

Such civil society activity is designed to highlight not just the failure of the international powers, but also their complicity.

Chris Doyle

Critics limply argue that this is an attention-grabbing stunt. Celebrities on board like the Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, have posted extensively on social media. The skeptics argue that the aid being carried is hardly going to address the colossal need in Gaza.

But that is the point. Such civil society activity is designed to highlight not just the failure of the international powers, but also their complicity. Those with a major online following should be drawing attention to these atrocities. States such as the US, Germany and the UK still arm Israel and cooperate with a government that is committing genocide and whose ministers make repeated genocidal comments. Do not hold your breath waiting for any of the political leaders in these countries to feel in any way embarrassed. Senior Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham even posted mockingly: “Hope Greta and her friends can swim.”

Thunberg will not be deterred. She was clear: “We believe that the bigger risk here is to be silent in the face of genocide, in the face of injustice and mass starvation of over 2 million people.”

This situation highlights many questions. Why is it that only this flotilla is trying to break the siege? Why is it civilians running the gauntlet of Israeli gunboats? What would happen if NATO powers sent ships to Gaza? Would Israel dare to engage them? The Madleen is also a UK-flagged vessel, but do not expect a reaction from London.

The self-imposed impotence of the international community has frequently been on show when dealing with Israel.

Chris Doyle

The self-imposed impotence of the international community has frequently been on show when dealing with Israel. Rather than pressure Israel, former US President Joe Biden authorized an ineffective and dangerous airdrop of aid and also the calamitous floating pier project that was abandoned after only a couple of months.

The official Israeli reaction has been predictable, depicting those on board as both antisemites and supporters of terrorism. So routine, overused and abused is this Pravda-style propaganda, one wonders if anyone pays it any serious attention. Israel Katz, the defense minister, posted: “To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back — because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations — at sea, in the air and on land.”

Legally, Israel has little on its side. The blockade, as collective punishment of a people under its occupation, is illegal. The International Court of Justice ordered Israel in January 2024 to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, something it has failed to do.

As the Madleen made its journey, those on board complained of Israeli attempts to jam their communications. As ever, Israel will seek to control and dominate the narrative. But it might struggle. Its starvation of 2.3 million Palestinians has lost it huge levels of support globally, with even erstwhile friends and apologists for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu starting to criticize him or at least falling silent out of embarrassment.

After intercepting the flotilla on Monday, Israel opted for a softer approach, handing out food and water in a scene that only highlighted its failure to provide such necessities for the Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Israeli leaders will detain and deport those on board with as little fuss and publicity as possible, but this is unlikely to deter future missions if the Gaza genocide continues.

This flotilla shows that global civil society is growing in size and confidence, while being attacked by political elites. It is time for real change, for political leaders to listen to their electorates and force an end to the genocide.

• Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. X: @Doylech