Two French sailboats will depart from Marseille on April 4th and join a new international flotilla of around one hundred boats with the aim of “breaking” the Israeli blockade and reaching Gaza, as announced on Monday, March 30th by the organizers.
“Our message is essentially political,” stated Claude Léostic of the association France Palestine Solidarité (AFPS) during a press conference, referring to an initiative of “solidarity with the Palestinian people who are under siege and blockaded in Gaza”.
In the autumn of 2025, a fleet of around fifty boats, including political figures and activists like Swedish Greta Thunberg, was intercepted by the Israeli navy, deemed illegal by the organizers and Amnesty International. They were detained and deported by Israel.
“These two French boats will also carry ‘medicines’ and ‘food’,” clarified Claude Léostic, alongside representatives of the coalition of about thirty members, including Urgence Palestine, Attac, the trade union Solidaires, CGT federations, and La France insoumise.
“With 100 boats, we have a chance that some will get through,” said Claude Léostic. “And if some pass and reach Gaza, symbolically it’s extremely powerful, the blockade will have been broken,” she emphasized, adding: “Our Palestinian friends in Gaza tell us, ‘come, we are waiting for you.'”
“The flotilla is the strongest, most impactful movement in the media to keep Palestine on the international stage,” explained Meriem Hadjal from the organization “Waves of Freedom France,” which will sail towards Gaza, coinciding with the war in the Middle East making headlines.
“This is not a cruise, it’s a militant march where we are aware of the risks,” insisted Claude Léostic, referencing the Israeli-American war against Iran and the conflict in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel.
“If the situation deteriorates further in the Eastern Mediterranean, we may alter our route and timelines,” she explained. This French coalition named “Flotilla Liberté pour Gaza” will join the flotillas of “Thousand Madleens” and “Global Sumud Flotilla.”
“We will sail together towards Gaza,” around April 20th, stated Claude Léostic, mentioning a one-week stop in southern Italy beforehand for a “non-violence training.”
Gaza, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement accuse each other of violating the ceasefire that came into effect on October 10th, 2025, after two years of war. Accusations of genocide committed by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza have increased, allegations that Israel denies.
