Freedom Flotilla Launches New ‘Handala' Mission to Gaza
'The vessel will carry life-saving humanitarian aid and a message of solidarity from people around the world refusing to stay silent as Gaza is starved, bombed, and buried under rubble,' the Freedom Flotilla coalition said in a statement.
The mission comes following the June 9 interception of Madleen. The world watched as the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) boarded the UK‑flagged civilian vessel in international waters, seized its humanitarian cargo, and abducted 12 unarmed volunteers, including MEPs, journalists, activists, and doctors.
Among them were climate advocate Greta Thunberg, European Parliament member Rima Hassan, journalist Omar Faiad, and other peace activists, even though the mission was fully compliant with international maritime law
Four of the 12, including Thunberg, Hassan, Toribio, and Faiad, were deported by June 12. The remaining eight endured illegal arbitrary detention in Israel, including solitary confinement, physical and psychological mistreatment, and harsh conditions before legal proceedings.
Legal advocates and rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Adalah condemned the interception as a blatant violation of international law and the rights of civilians in pursuit of humanitarian relief.
On the heels of this dramatic illegal interception and detention of unarmed civilians, as well as the loss of humanitarian cargo, the Handala is vowing to take up the Madleen's sunken flag with a vow to continue its mission.
The Freedom Flotilla asserts that despite these illegal acts of force and suppression by the IOF, it will not back down. The vessel will carry onboard volunteer medics, lawyers, journalists, social justice activists, and organizers for its next mission, although the specific list of those set to sail has not yet been released. 'We are not governments. We are people, taking action where institutions have failed,' added the statement.
These efforts come as the IOF continues its genocide on Palestinians in Gaza, including deliberately targeting aid seekers at aid distribution sites and civilians taking shelter in schools and hospitals. Tags: Freedom FlotillaGaza
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