The “Freedom Flotilla” coalition and the “A Thousand Madelines to Gaza” movement announced on Saturday the departure of a new flotilla consisting of 10 boats from the port of San Giovanni Li Cuti in Catania, Sicily, in a renewed attempt to break the blockade imposed on Gaza.
اضافة اعلان
About 70 activists from more than 20 nationalities are participating in the new flotilla, including parliamentarians from Belgium, Denmark, the European Union, Ireland, France, Spain, and the United States, carrying “the voices of their voters and a message of solidarity with the Palestinian people,” according to organizers.
Renewed Determination
This wave of boats continues a long series of similar initiatives, including the “Madeline” and “Hindala” boats and dozens of vessels over the past fifteen years, all of which faced attacks by the Israeli military.
In a joint statement, the Freedom Flotilla coalition and the “A Thousand Madelines” movement said: “Each boat that sets sail is a direct challenge to the blockade and a declaration of solidarity. We are not on a charity mission, but part of a global struggle to end the apartheid system and affirm Palestinians’ right to freedom.”
The statement added: “Israel has relentlessly bombed Gaza for two years, killing and maiming civilians, starving children, and targeting journalists and hospitals, while Western governments continue supplying it with weapons and shielding it from accountability. This flotilla departs at a critical moment.”
The flotilla includes prominent political and cultural figures, including current and former ministers, parliamentarians, unionists, artists, and activists from various fields.
Political Controversy in Europe
The launch of the new boats has sparked controversy in Europe, particularly in Italy. Recent developments prompted the Italian, Spanish, and Greek navies to deploy rescue ships to protect participants in the Global Resilience Flotilla after they faced drone attacks.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella suggested redirecting one of the ships to Cyprus, with aid later delivered to Gaza via the United Nations, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Italian government.
The “Freedom Flotilla” is an international civilian initiative launched in 2010, comprising organizations and activists worldwide, aiming to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid directly to its residents.
The initiative is based on international law and human rights, viewing the Israeli blockade of Gaza as illegal, and it has become a global symbol of solidarity with Palestinians, especially after the 2010 Mavi Marmara tragedy.
The “A Thousand Madelines” movement is a symbolic and practical extension of the Freedom Flotilla, named after Gaza fisherwoman Madeline Kalab, the only woman who broke the blockade through fishing, symbolizing the thousands of women and children in Gaza suffering under the blockade. — (Al Jazeera)
