Rest of Madleen crew released after being detained by Israel

The National

16-06-2025

The Madleen ship, co-ordinated by humanitarian group Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), set sail for Gaza on June 1 in an attempt to break Israel's blockade on the enclave and deliver much needed aid.
On June 9, the vessel was intercepted by Israeli forces while sailing in international waters. The 12 volunteers on board - which included Swedish climate and social justice campaigner Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan - were detained and taken to Israel, where they were asked to sign deportation consent forms.
READ MORE: At least 34 Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers near aid site
While four people, including Thunberg, signed the forms and were subsequently deported, the remaining eight were detained in prison while waiting to appear before an Israeli tribunal.
Five more activists were deported by Israel on Thursday, but the remaining three had their deportation flights "abruptly cancelled" following the country's attack on Iran, which closed Israeli airports and grounded flights.
However, it has now been confirmed that the last three detained volunteers - Marco van Rennes (Netherlands), Pascal Maurieras (France) and Yanis Mhamdi (France) - were released from Israeli detention on Monday morning and have begun their return to their home countries via the Jordanian border.
Their respective embassies are now expected to facilitate their return home from Jordan.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, the FFC said: "This mission took place as Palestinians in Gaza face the most devastating campaign of ethnic cleansing and genocide in recent history. Israel's nearly two-decade-long blockade of Gaza has been repeatedly found to violate international law, including in the 2009 United Nations Fact-Finding Mission Report and numerous legal analyses since.
"In 2024, the International Court of Justice found it plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and issued binding provisional measures to prevent such acts. Despite this, Israel's deadly blockade continues with full backing from the US, EU, and other complicit governments.
READ MORE: BBC coverage of Israel's war on Gaza shows 'pattern of bias', new report finds
"The Madleen mission is part of a 17-year-long civil society effort to confront, challenge, and break Israel's illegal blockade on Gaza. Based on precedent, we knew the risks – including attack, injury, and even death – were high. But we believe the cost of inaction is greater.
"Our goal is to break the siege – not symbolically, but materially and politically – which requires mobilizing not just civil society, but governments as well.
"In that sense, this mission has succeeded in reigniting global awareness, hope, and imagination in the power of people-to-people solidarity and direct action. We're not stopping – and we invite the world to join us."
The statement continued: "Our mission sought to break through media fatigue and remind the world: Gaza remains under illegal blockade. International silence is not neutrality – it is complicity.
"Palestinians have the right to live with dignity, freedom, and justice, and to receive aid – everything they need – without the control of their illegal Occupying Power."
READ MORE: UK must not look away from Gaza genocide amid Iran-Israel war - Amnesty
The FFC said it welcomed "the people's solidarity with our mission" and "above all, with the starved and besieged Palestinian people of Gaza".
The group added: "We ask you to keep mobilizing, watch for announcements of our next action against the blockade, and let your solidarity sail.
"We will continue sailing until the blockade is broken, the genocide ends, and Palestine is free – from the river to the sea."