Two elected LFIs will embark on July 18 on a pro-Palestinian ship for Gaza, for a mission qualified as “symbolic”. The initiative, on the sidelines of official humanitarian circuits, aims to break the Israeli blockade, despite the security warnings of the Hebrew State.
A new militant operation is preparing in the Mediterranean. Two elected Insoumise France, Gabrielle Cathala (MP) and Emma Fourreau (MEP), will embark on July 18 on board the Handala, a ship chartered by the international collective “Flotilla for Liberty”, to try to join Gaza.
For the children of Gaza, to break the humanitarian blockade, to stop the genocide, we leave next week on the Handala of the #FreedomFlottila with my comrade @emma_frr And 16 other crew members!
FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/jDha12VEjj
– Gabrielle Cathala (@gabriellecthl) July 10, 2025
Officially presented as a humanitarian mission, the initiative aims to bypass the Israeli blockade in place since the offensive of Hamas terrorists in October 7, 2023. On social networks, Gabrielle Cathala justified this approach by the desire to “break the humanitarian blockade” and to “stop genocide”, taking up polemical rhetoric widely disputed in international authorities.
The elected official said that she would embark with 16 crew members, symbolic help and activist personalities on the departure planned since Gallipoli, in the south-east of Italy.
This operation recalls that of Madleen, a previous ship who left in June under similar conditions. He had been intercepted by the Israeli army nearly 185 kilometers from the coast, without being able to reach Gaza.
On board was already controversial figures, including MEP LFI Rima Hassan, owned three days by Israel, and Greta Thunberg, who became a militant figure in the Palestinian cause.
“Humanitarian aid” with blurred contours
If the organizers ensure that they want to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the operational nature of the aid remains very limited. The initiative is assumed as “symbolic” by Gabrielle Cathala herself. However, it is presented as a peaceful resistance action by activists, despite its openly political character.
Also announced aboard the Handala: American influencer Jacob Berger, unionist Chris Smalls, or even American-Palestinian activist Huwaida Arraf. Several journalists should also make the trip, giving the operation an obvious media dimension.
The “Handala” boat and its crew will try to force the inhuman blockade of Gaza and thousands of Gazaouis sentenced to cruel death. Pride and admiration by seeing two rebellious deputies in this crew, Gabrielle Cathala and Emma Fourreau.
-Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@jlmelenchon) July 11, 2025
Jean-Luc Mélenchon testified to his support for this initiative on X. The LFI chief expressed his “pride” and his “admiration”.
The context of a military blockade Israel has maintained since March a strict blockade on Gaza, justified by the need to neutralize Hamas, responsible for a bloody attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023. The IDF offensive aims to dismantle the terrorist networks which continue to operate from the Gaza Strip.
Unauthorized sea convoys are systematically stopped for security reasons. Faced with criticisms of humanitarian conditions, the Hebrew state has recently authorized supplies by supervised land, while stressing that Hamas continues to divert part of the aid for military uses.
Political instrumentalization?
The involvement of French parliamentarians in an action parallel to official diplomacy questions. This attempt is part of a broader LFI strategy aimed at leaving a spokesperson for the most radical causes on the international scene. It intervenes in the summer, at a time when media attention is released, but when symbols can hit the spirits.
The French government has not reacted at this stage to this new initiative, which does not benefit from any institutional mandate. Israel has already warned that no unauthorized ship would be authorized to cross the blockade.
