Activist Greta Thunberg's message before Gaza's journey: 'No mission is more dangerous than the silence of the whole world' | Today news

Climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others went to Gaza on Sunday on board the Madleen, a ship operating by the Freedom Flotilla coalition, in a daring attempt to break “Israel’s siege” of the war-torn area. The vessel departs from Catania, a port in southern Italy, and is aimed at providing humanitarian aid and harming the deepening crisis in Gaza. Thunberg spoke at a press conference in Catania and became emotional while describing the urgency of the mission. “We do it because it doesn’t matter what chance we are, we have to keep trying,” she says, tearing. “Because the moment we stop losing our humanity. And it doesn’t matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even as dangerous as the silence of the whole world in the face of the vibrant genocide. ‘ Passengers on board joining Thunberg to the Madleen are several significant figures, including Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and French MP Rima Hassan, who is of Palestinian descent. Hassan was banned from entering Israel because of her vocal opposition to the Gaza war. Previous aid effort delayed by drone attack is the Freedom Flotilla’s second recent attempt to reach Gaza. An attempt in May was dropped after the conscience, another of the vessels of the coalition, was hit by two drones in international waters near Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack. Continuous war and accusations of genocide are the mission amid growing international concerns about the conditions in Gaza. Almost 19 months after the conflict, the Gaza Ministry of Health reports on 52,000 deaths – mostly women and children – due to Israeli air strikes and ground attacks. Israel, which says its operations target Hamas militants, reject the allegations of genocide. Israel’s blockade and hostage crisis Israel maintains its blocking, citing the pressure on Hamas to release hostages taken during the attack on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 kidnapped. From now on, 58 hostages remain in captivity, 23 of which are apparently alive. Thiago Avila, activist of the “Siege by Land and Sea”, emphasized that this maritime effort is part of a broader movement to challenge the blockade: “We break the siege of Gaza at Sea, but it is part of a broader mobilization strategy that will also try to break the siege through land.” He emphasized the upcoming global march to Gaza, which begins in mid-June in Egypt, where participants, including doctors, advocates and media, will try to reach the Rafah intersection to put an end to the offensive and reopening of the border. Humanitarian crisis at Breaking Point, despite the fact that Israel is slightly alleviated in mid-May, warns help groups and UN agencies that famine is failing in Gaza. They call Israeli policies, lawlessness and looting as major obstacles to helping Gaza’s 2 million residents. Madleen’s journey is expected to take about seven days – unless intercepted. The organizers say the mission is symbolic and urgent, which aims to draw global attention to the humanitarian disaster of Gaza. (With AP inputs)