Back in the Netherlands after a dangerous mission toward Gaza, Captain Mark van Rennes of the Freedom Flotilla has vowed to sail again. “The blockade has lasted 18 years, and so will our resistance,” he declared to supporters waving Palestinian flags at Schiphol Airport.

His ship, the Madleen, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters as it attempted to deliver aid and challenge the illegal siege on Gaza. Among the passengers were activists, including Greta Thunberg and MEP Rima Hassan, some of whom were detained and deported.

Van Rennes, hospitalised twice en route back, downplayed his own ordeal: “Thousands of Palestinians remain locked in detention camps, facing daily torture. The focus should be on them.”

As Gaza’s death toll surpasses 55,000 and humanitarian aid remains blocked, the Freedom Flotilla stands as a reminder that while the world turns away, some still choose to sail into the storm, not for glory, but for justice.