STORY: Activist Greta Thunberg said in a video released on Wednesday (June 4) that her mission to deliver aid to Gaza is not "the story." Instead, she said that the real issue is what she called Israel's "siege and oppression" of Gaza.

Thunberg is sailing aboard the Madleen, a ship from the International nonprofit organization Freedom Flotilla Coalition intended to deliver symbolic aid to Palestinians.

"So keep your eyes on Gaza, but also keep your eyes on deck here because visibility means safety," said Thunberg during a live stream.

Location of her video was verified through the boat’s Automatic Identification System. Ship details such as hand-railing, deck paint colors, cabin decals and wooden frames match file imagery of the Madleen. The date is unverified.

Under growing global pressure, Israel ended an 11-week blockade on Gaza, allowing limited U.N.-led operations to resume.

On Monday (June 2), a new avenue for aid distribution was also launched - the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation - backed by the United States and Israel, but with which the U.N. and international aid groups have refused to work, saying it is not neutral and has a distribution model that forces the displacement of Palestinians.

The U.N. has long-blamed Israel and lawlessness in the enclave for hindering the delivery of aid into Gaza and its distribution throughout the war zone. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies.

After at least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in southern Gaza on Tuesday (June 3) the Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer denied that civilians had been targeted.

"The IDF is doing everything in its power to allow Gazans to get to the humanitarian aid. The IDF is not preventing the arrival of Gazans at humanitarian aid sites. Indeed, we are encouraging it," Mencer said.

Israel began its offensive in Gaza after Hamas militants burst through the border from Israeli-blockaded Gaza, attacking Israelis in homes, cars and at an all-night music festival. Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 251 people taken as hostages into Gaza. An additional four were already held by Hamas.

Israel's campaign has devastated much of Gaza, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians and destroying most buildings. Much of the population now lives in shelters in makeshift camps.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAILING ON THE MADLEEN, AN AID SHIP FROM THE FREEDOM FLOTILLA COALITION/ SOUNDBITES FROM THUNBERG

EDITORS NOTE: ON-SCREEN SUBTITLES ADDED BY SOURCE

Verified by:

-Location is verified through the boat’s Automatic Identification System

-Ship details such as hand-railing, deck paint colors, cabin decals and wooden frames match file imagery of the Madleen

-Date is unverified

SHOWS: AT SEA (RELEASED ON JUNE 4, 2025) (FREEDOM FLOTILLA COALITION - Must on-screen courtesy Freedom Flotilla Coalition)

1. VIEW FROM THE DECK OF THE MADLEEN, AN AID SHIP FROM THE FREEDOM FLOTILLA COALITION/ THUNBERG GREETING CREW MEMBERS

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, SAYING:

"We are only a part of a much broader, bigger global movement for Palestinian liberation that is being led by Palestinians. And we are here because our governments are failing to step up. We are here because when the international community, when international institutions, international law and our governments fail to keep people safe and are acting in a way that fuels and enables genocides to happen, then we have a responsibility to step up and be the adults in the room. And that should not have to be the case. The story here is not that we are sailing to Gaza. The story is here that Israel is having a siege on Gaza and that Israel has been oppressing people for decades and decades and are committing ethnic cleansing, genocide, ecocide and all kinds of war crimes. That is the story here. So keep your eyes on Gaza, but also keep your eyes on deck here because visibility means safety."