Freedom Flotilla

[Badh]

Thought this might be worth its own thread. The freedom flotilla The Madleen was getting close to Gaza but seems to have made a diversion, as it was the closest boat to answer a distress call. They seem to also have four Sudanese asylum seekers on board who were trying to escape the Libyan coast patrol.

The UK and France are asking Israel for its safe passage.

The tracker is here but is in and out of action.
https://freedomflotilla.org/ffc-tracker/

More details here, although the latest detour is not covered in the article.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-navy-gears-up-to-block-high-profile-protest-ship-headed-for-gaza/amp/

"One activist from Belgium told me, “If Israel didn’t exist, there wouldn’t be problems in the world.”

There you have it.

Poor guy, wanted to help but didn't really appreciate what islamist terrorists are all about until too late. Is that where the term useful idiots came about? Use them to promote own ends then when no longer useful dispense with. Poor guy.

I remember correspondents in Vietnam, in Afghanistan they were there on the front line in WWII. They were all dangerous but correspondents are adults doing a job.

It is very convenient to refuse to let neutral journalists in and then dismiss information coming out as it isn't from neutral journalists.

Do people believe that or are they all sitting with their eyes closed and fingers in their ears?

Not all information is coming from Hamas, have you heard any of the medical volunteers reporting what they've seen?

Do you believe everything Israel says? Do you remember the paramedics who were murdered. IDF hid the evidence and said it didn't happen, then the bodies were found and suddenly IDF said it did happen but it was because the ambulances were suspicious with no lights on and then the video evidence was released. Very reliable source the IDF.

Not surprised that Israel were blamed although even Hama confirmed the Islamist terrorist group that did it.

"Although Arrigoni was killed by suspected members of the Palestinian Salafist group Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin, some blamed Israel for the murder. In spite of the fact that Hamas identified the perpetrators with a Palestinian group affiliated with al-Qaeda,[20] Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said he suspected Israel might be responsible since the death appeared to be timed to deter foreign activists from joining a flotilla due to sail to Gaza in May to break Israel's naval blockade of the area"

The Israeli military has already said it is “prepared to defend the citizens of the State of Israel on all fronts – in the north, the south, the centre and also in the maritime arena”.
Army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told a press conference last week that the navy “operates day and night to protect Israel’s maritime space and borders at sea”.

How is preventing the landing prosthetic limbs and tampons protecting the citizens of Israel?

Also if they are landing in Gaza how are they referring to it as Israels maritime space ?

Ridiculous comment seeing as the thousands of ‘journalists’ in Gaza have flooded the world with ‘evidence’ of Netanyahu’s evil deeds. I mean what more evidence do you need?

The Israelis seem to be of the view that the reporting wouldn’t be any more balanced if real journalists were in Gaza so what’s the point in risking their lives.

Any information coming out of Gaza is immediately rubbished by posters such as yourself because you would say they aren't credible....yet the credible journalists aren't allowed in...
How strange you think Israel is only thinking of the journalists safety considering they have murdered more journalists in this conflict than any other.

@NotABottie It’s difficult to verify what comes from Gaza. Most people don’t consider unverified content as evidence. You may trust Hamas and the IDF but most feel otherwise.

Hamas/PIJ have long used journalism as cover. This is from 2012.

https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/palestinian-terrorism/how-hamas-and-islamic-jihad-use-journalism-as-a-cover-for-terrorism/

2021

https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/the-hamas-terrorist-organization/senior-terrorist-in-gaza-disguises-himself-as-journalist/

2025

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-oct-7-terrorist-and-others-operating-under-guise-of-journalists-killed-in-gaza/amp/

On that basis I don’t think you can even compare this conflict to any other.

Are there any credible journalists to both sides? Anyone supporting Israel is accused of being a shill.

The live tracker seems to be down? Does anyone know where the boat currently is?

No one seems to know. It appears that the boats signal may be being jammed.

update New link to follow the boat:
https://live.garmin.com/session/b2e08860-265e-8540-9877-8a235f2aa201/token/9219F8EFFEADE8C2F2431E7E4EB3BCE4

If you are going to use one death to insinuate that Palestinians are just savages and dehumanise them: be honest and mention the internationals killed by Israel!

Poor ...

• Iain Hook
• Rachel Corrie
• James Miller
• Tom Hundall
• Cengiz Akyüz
• Ali Haydar Bengi
• Ibrahim Bilgen
• Furkan Dogan
• Cevdet Kiliclar
• Cengiz Songur
• Cetin Topcuoglu
• Fahri Yaldiz
• Necdet Yildirim
• Ugur Suleyman Soylemez
• Damian Sobol
• Zomi Frankcom
• James Henderson
• John Chapman
• James Kirby
• Jacob Flickinger
• Aysenur Ezgi Eygi!

Wanted to help but didn't really appreciate what murderous bastards the IDF are until too late!

And, no, none of them were "useful idiots". Neiter was Vittorio Arrigoni. They were brave, principled people who risked their lives for something they believed in - specifically: that human rights are not negotiable!

A few days ago the tracking system gps was also lost so let’s hope this is just a technical issue. However as the flotilla has got closer to the Gaza Strip it’s unlikely
Israel gave the Freedom Floitlla 48/76 hours to move away yesterday and now the signal has gone.
Its likely ( no proof) that the IDF are jamming the signal so that the world cannot see what us going on
Israel has no right to control the sea of Gaza but they have form for preventing Freedom Flotillas getting to Gaza
In 2009 they killed 9 Turkish people in similar circumstances and detained the rest.

So will they move the boat to an Israeli port and detain all on board ? They’ve done it before, but never when a boat is flying under a British flag.

Heres the May 2025 incident of yet another Freedom Flotilla attacked by drones

Can anyone explain how the British flag works in this instance? Surely it’s moot as it’s not official?

The signal is back on this newly generated link: https://live.garmin.com/session/b2e08860-265e-8540-9877-8a235f2aa201/token/9219F8EFFEADE8C2F2431E7E4EB3BCE4

Though I agree with everything you said. I keep thinking of the Turkish flotilla too. The IDF actually boarded that ship.

I am also mindful of when a similar flotilla was hit by a drone of the coast of Malta last month.

Any ship registered in the UK, a Crown dependency or Overseaes Territory can fly the flag. It’s not the people on board, it’s the vessel which is relevant.

Of note.
As it is flying the Union Jack it comes under UK jurisdiction.

So it’s not a moot point, it’s very significant
If the IDF attack it with their drones this would be an attack on the UK ( and potentially an act of war )

Though not journalists you can add the USS Liberty to that list Israel actually attacked and sunk a US spyship killing 34 Americans. Get your head around that - they would have qualms about sinking the FF and concocting an excuse if they wanted to ! That was sunk pretty much where the boat is now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident

I certainly agree that Arrigoni was not a 'useful idiot'. It sounds like he was an extremely passionate activist who put his money where his mouth is but I think there are questions over his 'principles'. There appear to be photos of him with his arm around a main Hamas leader who was a millionaire, possibly even a billionaire, money of which came from aid meant for Gazan's that he took.

The people on board are constantly in contact with numerous parties, including the French Foreign Ministry, who due to French nationals being abroad also requested safe passage.

Not quite the innocent ‘peace activists’ that is being made out though were they?

https://www.bbc.com/news/10195838.amp

Let’s hope Greta and her terrorist supporter shipmates don’t take the same path.

In that instance, surely any vessel could fly a UK flag and be given the same protection?

If the vessel is registered in any UK territory then yes, of course.

The UK were asked to prevent the boat reaching Israeli waters but refused. They can act but they only will if there is a safety risk according to this article.

www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-navy-gears-up-to-block-high-profile-protest-ship-headed-for-gaza/amp/

Not as if sailing into an active war zone with terrorist supporters onboard and a monstrous terrorist organisation on one side and a ‘genocidal’ army on the other is a safety risk is it?

Clowns.