RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "FREEDOM FLOTILLA COALITION" HANDOUT ---EDITORIAL USE ONLY--- MEDITERRANEAN SEA, EGYPT - JUNE 8, 2025: French citizens aboard the "Madleen" sailboat have appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron for urgent support, on Sunday, June 8. In their message, the passengers urged Macron to take immediate diplomatic action to prevent any potential Israeli assault on the vessel and to ensure a safe passage to Gaza for the humanitarian mission. The Madleen is among the latest efforts by international activists and aid volunteers to challenge the long-standing Israeli blockade on the enclave, which has severely restricted the flow of essential goods and medical supplies to the besieged population. The ship has 12 activists on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. Last week, Israeli state broadcaster KAN reported that Tel Aviv had reversed its initial decision to allow the ship to pass. The approval was withdrawn under the pretext of "setting a precedent" for future humanitarian aid missions. The ship is carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics, according to its organizers. Another ship operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Conscience, was targeted by drones off the coast of Malta on May 2. Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal war in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave. Writing by Mustafa Tuncer