Latest news with #Najial-Ali
Roya News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Freedom Flotilla's 'Handala' to set sail on new aid mission to starving Gaza
The Handala, a civilian vessel organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), is poised to depart from Syracuse, Italy, on July 13, 2025, embarking on a new mission to challenge the 'Israeli' naval blockade of Gaza and deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid. Named after the iconic Palestinian cartoon character by Naji al-Ali, symbolizing a barefoot refugee child who turned his back on injustice, the Handala carries a diverse group of activists, medics, lawyers, journalists, and humanitarian supplies. Its objectives are threefold: to break the protracted blockade, deliver vital aid, and express solidarity with the besieged population of Gaza. The ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where a complete blockade has been in place since March 2, 2025, marks the longest continuous closure in the blockade's history. Reports from the ground indicate widespread hunger, with nearly one in three people going entire days without food, and hospitals facing imminent shutdown due to fuel shortages. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has highlighted persistent strikes on civilians seeking aid and shelter, with a staggering 86% of the Gaza Strip now within 'Israeli'-militarized zones or under displacement orders since March 18. This voyage follows the interception of the FFC's previous vessel, the "Madleen," in June 2025, during which activists, including a Member of the European Parliament, were detained and deported by 'Israeli' forces. The FFC maintains that such actions in international waters are illegal and vows to continue its non-violent resistance. Participants on board the Handala represent a global grassroots movement, taking action where, as the FFC states, "institutions have failed." The ship itself has previously sailed to ports across Europe and the UK in 2023 and 2024, serving as a platform for awareness campaigns and political education about the blockade and the plight of Gaza's children, who comprise over half of the territory's population and have borne the brunt of the recent conflict. The international community's reactions to past flotillas have been mixed, with many countries condemning previous 'Israeli' interceptions and calling for investigations into incidents such as the 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, which resulted in the deaths of ten activists. While the complete and final list of all participants on the Handala for this specific voyage isn't always released publicly beforehand for security reasons, the FFC draws from a pool of dedicated volunteers who undergo a vetting process. Some individuals who have previously participated in FFC missions and may be on board or are closely associated with the current effort include: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jacob Berger (@jacobbergeractor)
Days of Palestine
6 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
'Freedom Flotilla' Launches New Mission to Gaza
DaysofPal – The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced it is preparing to launch a new aid mission to the besieged Gaza Strip, just weeks after Israeli forces intercepted and seized one of its vessels in international waters. In a statement shared on X, the coalition confirmed that its next boat, named 'Handala,' will depart from the Italian port of Siracusa on 13 July. 'The mission is for the children of Gaza,' the coalition declared, emphasizing the symbolic significance of the mission's name. The vessel is named after Handala, the iconic cartoon figure of a 10-year-old boy created by Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali, widely recognized as a symbol of Palestinian resistance and steadfastness. This announcement comes on the heels of the seizure of the 'Freedom Ship' (Madeleine) by Israeli forces at dawn on a Monday earlier this month. The ship, carrying humanitarian aid and international peace activists, was intercepted while sailing in international waters en route to Gaza in a bid to challenge Israel's 17-year-long blockade of the coastal enclave. The 'Madeleine' had set sail in early June from the Italian port of Catania, carrying 12 international activists, including Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Fayyad. On board were critical supplies of food, medicine, and medical equipment intended for civilians in Gaza who have been enduring one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes. The Israeli military later confirmed that the ship had been seized and transferred to one of its ports, in what human rights advocates have condemned as a violation of international maritime law. This was not the coalition's first attempt to defy Israel's naval blockade. The 'Madeleine' was the 36th vessel launched as part of the Freedom Flotilla, an international civil society campaign that has sought to break the siege on Gaza since it began in 2007. The vessel was named in honor of Madeleine Kulab, a young Palestinian woman who became the first female professional fisher in the Gaza Strip. She lost both her father and her livelihood in the wake of Israel's war on Gaza, which escalated drastically in October 2023. Her story has since become a powerful symbol of resilience under occupation and siege. Shortlink for this post:
Roya News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
After 'Israeli' raid of Madleen, Freedom Flotilla launches new Gaza-bound vessel Handala
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announced Sunday that it will launch a new mission on July 13, sending the vessel Handala toward Gaza in a direct challenge to what it calls Israel's 'illegal, deadly blockade' of the coastal enclave. The boat, named after the iconic Palestinian cartoon character representing resistance and exile, will carry humanitarian aid and a delegation of civilians determined to break through the ongoing siege. Onboard will be volunteer medics, human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers, and community organizers from around the world. '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 coalition said in a press statement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@gazafreedomflotilla) This latest mission comes just weeks after a previous flotilla boat, the Madleen, was reportedly seized by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in international waters. According to the coalition, twelve unarmed civilians aboard that ship, including a Member of the European Parliament, a doctor, and several journalists, were detained, interrogated, and eventually deported. Their alleged offense, the coalition states, was 'attempting to bring food, medicine, and solidarity to Palestinians under siege.' The launch of Handala follows a deadly escalation in Gaza that began on March 18, when 'Israel' resumed its military campaign. Since then, Gaza's Health Ministry reports at least 6,572 Palestinians killed and more than 23,000 wounded. Among the casualties are over 700 individuals reportedly shot while waiting for food at distribution points run by the US and 'Israel'-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a system the FFC accuses of being 'a death trap masquerading as an aid scheme.' Named after a barefoot child refugee who turned his back to the world in the artwork of Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, Handala has already visited numerous ports across Northern Europe and the UK in 2023 and 2024, where it served as a floating platform for awareness campaigns, art installations, and political education. 'This mission is for the children of Gaza,' the coalition said, highlighting that more than half the population of Gaza are minors. 'Since October 2023, over 50,000 have been killed or injured, tens of thousands orphaned, and nearly a million forcibly displaced and homeless. All now face famine, disease, and trauma few of us can imagine.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which has challenged 'Israel's' naval blockade since 2010, emphasizes that its efforts are civilian-led and grassroots in nature. 'We are not governments,' the coalition stated. 'We are people, taking action where institutions have failed.'
