The Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) strongly condemns the recent attacks by Israeli forces on the civilian aid vessel Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). The attacks represent not only grave violations of international humanitarian law but also an alarming escalation of Israel’s ongoing campaign of aggression against humanitarian efforts in occupied Palestine.
The Madleen, which departed from Sicily on 01 June 2025, carries needed supplies for the besieged people of Gaza, especially the children. The supplies include baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics. On 08 June 2025, as the ship approached the territorial waters of State of Palestine, the unarmed civilian crew and activists were captured by Israeli naval forces. The ship was boarded by the Israeli naval forces over international waters. The unarmed civilian crew and activists were detained, and the humanitarian cargo was obstructed from reaching its intended destination.
This is not an isolated incident. Just a month prior, on 02 May 2025, another FFC vessel, the Conscience, was targeted by an Israeli drone strike in international waters off the coast of Malta. Like the Madleen, it was carrying humanitarian aid and international volunteers challenging Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
These deliberate acts are part of a broader, entrenched pattern of state terrorism by Israel. For decades, the Israeli government has maintained an illegal blockade on Gaza, carried out repeated military assaults on civilian infrastructure, and enforced a system of apartheid and occupation over the Palestinian people. The criminalization of humanitarian aid and attacks on those delivering it exemplify Israel’s use of force not for security, but to maintain control through collective punishment and suppression of solidarity. Such actions are made possible by long standing impunity and the political and military backing of imperialist states such as the United States of America (US).
Israel’s practices meet the hallmarks of state terrorism: the use of organized, systematic violence by a state to instill fear and subjugate a civilian population. Independent reports by the United Nations (UN), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and most recently the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have described Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied territories as deliberate policies of domination, forced displacement, and racial segregation. The repeated bombings of hospitals, schools, residential blocks, and refugee camps are not incidental; they are part of an international strategy of terror that violates the core principles of international humanitarian law and the laws of war.
The US government consistently supports Israel’s aggression which in the recent years has been more akin to terrorism as thousands of civilians including children have been mercilessly targeted in the various air strikes launched against the rebel group forces led by Hamas. On 04 June 2025, the US has in fact once again vetoed a UN Security Council Resolution 2735 (2024) calling for an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza. This latest veto further undermines international humanitarian efforts and emboldens Israel’s ongoing military operations, despite mounting civilian casualties and widespread global condemnation.
The targeting of humanitarian missions such as those organized by FFC violates multiple tenets of international humanitarian law (IHL), including the Geneva Convention’s protection for civilian and aid workers during conflict. These attacks also blatantly contradict global commitments enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) and SDG 17 (partnership for the goals). Blocking aid, endangering civilian lives, and undermining international cooperation erode the very foundation of global peace and accountability.
CPDG stands in solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, with all civilian volunteers and aid workers, and most importantly, with the people of Palestine in their struggle for dignity, justice, and liberation. We urge the international community, UN bodies, and all states committed to the rule of law to immediately conduct independent investigations into the attacks on Madleen and Conscience, demand the unconditional release of the detained civilians, ensure that those responsible for these violations are held accountable, and take decisive action to protect humanitarian missions and uphold the rights of the Palestinian people.#
