On June 1, 2025, twelve men and women, activists committed to recognising the rights of the Palestinian people, met aboard the Freedom Flotilla. The sailboat carrying them, the Madleen Kulab, pays tribute to the first – and only – woman fisherwoman from Gaza. For over fifteen years, Madleen defied the Israeli blockade to feed her family, until her equipment was destroyed by the army, depriving her of her livelihood and her identity.
This brief reseach paper sheds light on the legal significance of the act of resistance carried out by the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and the profound message the fleet carries to the international community. Beyond the symbolic gesture of approaching the Gaza’s enclave to bring a drop of humanitarian aid in an ocean of humanitarian needs, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla is not just a desperate attempt to liberate Gaza from the yoke of war, colonization and unspeakable suffering.
Most and foremost, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla navigated though troubled waters to bring back to life the lost compass of international law. The Flotilla itself is a pacific and powerful symbol of hope – hope to restore the lost faith in humanity and human rights which rose from the ashes of WW2 along with their golden promise of a better future for all. Against the backdrop of states perillously relinquishing humanity and universal values, civil society who set sail on the Freedom Flotilla takes up the baton and bravely navigates with the compass of international law in an attempt to save it from annihilation in Gaza and beyond.
Downloadable PDF version: The Gaza Freedom Flotilla – Research Paper
Year of publication: 2025