• Source:JND
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A humanitarian aid ship, Madleen, set sail from the Sicilian port of Catania on Sunday, carrying vital supplies for the Gaza Strip. Onboard are high-profile international activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, and Palestinian-French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan. Operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the mission aims to challenge Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid amid a worsening crisis.

Greta Thunberg, 22, delivered a statement before departure. “The world cannot be silent bystanders,” she said. “This silence and passivity we are seeing from most of the world is deadly. Every single one of us has a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight for a free Palestine.” Thunberg broke into tears, adding that giving up in the face of injustice would mean "losing our humanity."

Liam Cunningham Channels His ‘Onion Knight’ Role

Sixty-three-year-old Liam Cunningham, known for playing Davos Seaworth on Game of Thrones, highlighted the urgency of the mission. “It’s live-streamed, this genocide, and the option to say you didn’t know is not an option,” he said. Drawing a symbolic connection to his fictional smuggler character who delivered food during a siege, Cunningham emphasised the parallels between his on-screen and real-life roles.

Joining the voyage is Rima Hassan, a French MEP of Palestinian origin. Hassan has been barred from entering Israel due to her outspoken criticism of the Israeli assault on Gaza. Her presence underscores the political dimensions of the flotilla, which activists describe as both a humanitarian and symbolic protest against what they call Israel’s “illegal siege.”

Backlash On Social Media

The announcement of Greta Thunberg’s participation in the Freedom Flotilla aid mission to Gaza has sparked intense and polarising reactions online.  One user on platform X wrote, “Hamas will use her as a human shield. Mossad should smuggle a tracker into her keffiyeh, it’ll lead to more command and control centres. Then we’ll be rid of Greta too, job done!” The comment concluded with, “Dear world, it’s a fucking joke!” a disclaimer critics say does little to mask the underlying aggression.

Another user mocked Thunberg’s decision by posting, “Hamas must be looking forward to someone volunteering to be a hostage,” while others bluntly stated, “Yes, and leave her there.”

UN: Gaza Aid Access Severely Restricted

UN agencies and aid organisations report growing difficulties in delivering assistance to Gaza. Israeli restrictions, looting, and lawlessness have left approximately 2 million people in critical need. The Freedom Flotilla’s goal is to bypass these barriers and draw global attention to the ongoing humanitarian disaster.

“This mission may be dangerous,” Thunberg said, “but it’s not nearly as dangerous as global silence in the face of genocide.” The ship's journey is not only about aid, it's a protest against a world many see as indifferent.