The Freedom Flotilla Coalition defines itself as "an international civilian mission responding to international failure" and has focused its efforts on Gaza.

Israeli forces intercepted and boarded a sailboat carrying a group of activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who planned to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade on the enclave.

Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists were detained by Israeli forces while attempting to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza on Monday, June 9, 2025. According to AP News, Thunberg and the others were protesting the ongoing military presence of Israel in the Gaza Strip, which has become one of the "deadliest and most destructive since World War II."