By Roshini R
The FEMEN activists in Paris protested on the situation in Gaza. The FEMEN activists can be understood as the international movement of topless female activists who paint their body with slogans. They were founded in 2008 in Ukraine. They are based on the ideology of Sextremism, Atheism and Feminism. The FEMEN are known for their activism against the global rise of fascism and their protests against authoritarian regimes. Their recent protest in Paris was against the Israeli occupational forces. They had slogans written on their upper body that were demanding the genocide to stop along with them emphasisng their stand with Gaza. This protest has caught the attention of netizens at a crucial time as there is an undeniable violation of the human rights for the people in Gaza.
The history of human rights violations in Palestinian territories predates the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 1917 Balfour Declaration, which supported the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, set the stage for escalating tensions. In 1948, the Nakba—Arabic for “catastrophe”—saw the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians during the creation of the state of Israel. Since then, Palestinians have faced constant war or the threat of war. There is an intensified military campaign following October 2023. These actions by Israeli authorities, including blockades, military operations, and restrictions on humanitarian aid, have been widely criticized as constituting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and, in some cases, genocide.
Right now, there is a humanitarian aid crisis. The United Nations have warned of famine, malnutrition and disease in Gaza. To add on, there are more than two million people at high risk of starvation. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which provides the aid now is backed by Israel and The United States of America, it is also protected by the Israeli Defense Force. Despite a partial lifting of the stringent siege last month, aid distribution remains inconsistent and insufficient. The aid distribution has not been smooth, either. Israeli soldiers have shot Palestinians in line for the very limited rations being distributed. The majority of people in Gaza do not have access to the said limited rations either.
Amid this crisis The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a campaign group that has been trying to breach a blockade on Gaza that was imposed by Israel in 2007 when Hamas took control of the territory. In May 2025, the ship – The Conscience carried aid. It was struck down by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta. It is suggested that Israel or Israeli supporters are behind the attack. They continued the efforts a month later.
On June first The Madleen set off sailing from the coast of Catania, Italy. The ship was carrying humanitarian aid along with baby formula and rice. It had eleven volunteers and one Al Jazeera reporter. Greta Thunberg, Sweden’s activist and Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament from France are the notable volunteers while the others are from Germany, France, Brazil, Turkey, Spain, The Netherlands.
On June 9th, around 01:00 GMT, Israeli drones encircled the Madleen. The drones began spraying it with a white substance till the commandos took a hold of the ship. The nature of the white substance remains unclear. The ship was 100 nautical miles away from Gaza still in international waters when it was seized. According to the international law – countries hold sovereign rights over their territorial waters only, not international waters. The Madleen was towed to the Ashdod Port. The international activists were “kidnapped” by the Israeli forces and were on board facing detention and deportation.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister dismissed Greta Thunberg’s plea for assistance following her detention by Israeli forces, stating that Thunberg and the other activists were not in danger and did not require consular support. While France’s President called for the immediate release of the six French nationals detained, including MEP Rima Hassan, urging Israel to allow their swift return. Turkey condemned the interception as a “heinous attack” in international waters, while other countries like Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands are noted to be in contact with Israeli authorities to address the situation of their detained citizens.
A Palestinian legal centre, Adalah, said that the volunteers are expected to be at a detention facility, after which they should be deported. According to international law, Israel had no authority to take over the ship as it was heading towards the territorial waters of Palestine not the territorial waters of Israel.
On 10th June, the activists were taken to the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. They are going to be deported shortly. However, eight of the Madleen’s twelve crew members are refusing to sign the deportation papers. Those who have signed the papers will be deported from on separate flights during the daytime. There is news of Greta Thunberg being deported to Sweden through France.
In spite of it all, Gaza still faces the humanitarian crisis.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition via Reuters
Salvatore Cavalli/Associated Press
Abir Sultan/EPA
