An international aid vessel carrying 12 activists, including prominent Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, has reached the Egyptian coast and is now approaching the blockaded Gaza Strip, organizers confirmed on Saturday.

The vessel Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departed from Sicily last week with humanitarian supplies aimed at challenging Israel’s ongoing naval blockade on Gaza.

"We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast," German human rights activist Yasemin Acar told AFP, adding that everyone on board is in good condition.

According to a statement issued by the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, based in London, the Madleen has officially entered Egyptian territorial waters. The group emphasized that they remain in contact with international legal and human rights organizations to ensure the activists’ safety, warning that any attempt to intercept the ship would be “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who is also aboard the vessel, called on governments to "guarantee safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla."

The naval blockade on Gaza predates the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, but has been more tightly enforced amid the ongoing conflict. Israel has previously used military force to prevent such flotillas from reaching Gaza. In a 2010 incident, Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship part of a similar aid mission, killing 10 civilians and sparking international outrage.

In May this year, another vessel from the same coalition, Conscience, reported being targeted by a drone attack during its voyage to Gaza. Rescue ships from Cyprus and Malta were dispatched after the vessel issued a distress call, though no injuries were reported.

Earlier in the Madleen’s journey, the ship diverted course near Crete to assist a sinking migrant boat. Four Sudanese migrants, who had leapt into the sea to avoid forced return to Libya, were rescued and later handed over to an EU Frontex vessel.

Founded in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition comprises various organizations advocating for an end to Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel imposed the blockade on March 2, citing security concerns, and although it has slightly relaxed some restrictions, access to aid remains limited.