Israel-Palestine conflict: En route Gaza, Greta Thunberg's boat rescues 4 Sudanese migrants from Mediterranean Sea

A vessel en route to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid with climate activist Greta Thunberg on board has rescued several migrants from the Mediterranean Sea near Crete, an island in Greece. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, of which Greta is a member, launched the vessel named Madleen, which had received a distress signal from a boat in the Mediterranean, as reported by a support group in Greece.

The Madleen has a “12-member crew of activists” on board to break the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza. The Madleen had set sail from Sicily on Sunday. Upon arrival (at the scene), Madleen discovered that the boat was “sinking with approximately 30-35 people aboard”. The Madleen launched its own inflatable rescue boat when it encountered a Libyan coastguard vessel, which initially identified itself as Egyptian. To avoid being captured by the Libyan authorities, four Sudanese individuals had jumped into the water. Greta Thunberg’s ship rescued them."Libya is not considered a safe country, and for this reason, some of the refugees jumped into the sea to avoid being returned there”, said the support group, as cited by the AFP. The Madleen had rescued four Sudanese individuals who had jumped into the water. The group of activists stated that after several hours of pleading for help, the rescued individuals were finally picked up by a Frontex Vessel, the EU’s border and coastguard agency, as reported by AFP.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition was initially launched in 2010 and is a non-violent international movement in support of Palestinians. Madleen is carrying essential supplies like milk, rice, protein bars, and tinned food for Palestinians in the war-battered Gaza Strip.Climate activist Greta Thunberg is among 12 people aboard the vessel Madleen, which set sail on Sunday in an effort to break the naval blockade on Gaza. The voyage, expected to last seven days, seeks to deliver humanitarian aid and draw global attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.Also on board are Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French MEP of Palestinian heritage, who has been denied entry into Israel due to her vocal criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.