In a statement, the committee affirmed that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continue to be subjected to "the most heinous crimes of the century, including ongoing genocide and starvation engineering" by the Israeli occupation army. It added that "the stifling blockade imposed on Gaza targets all aspects of life and deprives residents of their most basic needs," emphasizing that breaking it "has become a priority for the world's free people and solidarity movements, in light of the international community's failure and complicity."
The committee stated that it "continues its humanitarian, diplomatic, and media activities, announcing its full support for the Steadfastness Fleet, which is preparing to set sail on Sunday, noting that the voyage will resume from the Tunisian capital, Tunis, on September 4th."
The committee called on the world's public to support the flotilla, which it said was "an extension and inspiration of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's efforts since 2010, starting with the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, through successive attempts to break the blockade, and finally the 2025 blockade-breaking waves, which have so far been represented by the ships Al-Dameer, Madeleine, and Hanthala."
She added that "the flotilla aims to send a clear message to the international community that the continued Israeli blockade is a collective crime against more than two million people in Gaza," stressing that its participants represent "free voices from around the world calling for an end to the humanitarian tragedy."
The Global Flotilla consists of the Freedom Flotilla Federation, the Global Movement for Gaza, the Steadfastness Flotilla, and the Malaysian Sumud Nusantara (all non-governmental organizations), and includes thousands of activists from nearly 50 countries.
American delegation in Arish
In the context of the stifling Israeli blockade of Gaza, a delegation from the US Senate arrived at El Arish International Airport in Egypt on Saturday, in preparation for a visit to the Rafah crossing and inspecting the humanitarian aid warehouses piled up on the Egyptian side of the crossing, according to Cairo News Channel.
This comes amid sharp international criticism of Israel for blocking the entry of aid since last March, only allowing in meager quantities that do not meet the population's minimum needs.
The US delegation's visit comes after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, released on August 22, declared a famine in the northern Gaza Strip as of mid-August, warning of its potential spread to other areas due to the ongoing Israeli blockade and systematic starvation.
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Emirati aid ship to Arish
Meanwhile, the UAE announced on Saturday that a new humanitarian aid ship had set sail from Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi for the Egyptian port of El Arish, carrying 7,000 tons of food parcels, medical supplies, and ambulances. The aid is part of the Gallant Knight 3 campaign launched by the UAE in 2023 to support the residents of the Gaza Strip, according to the official Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The Gallant Knight 3 humanitarian campaign was launched on November 5, 2023, under the direction of UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, with the aim of delivering food and medical aid to the areas of Gaza most affected by the Israeli genocide.
The agency confirmed that the move comes "within the framework of the ongoing humanitarian support provided by the UAE to our Palestinian brothers and sisters, and as an extension of a series of humanitarian initiatives launched by the UAE as part of Operation Gallant Knight 3, which embodies the UAE's unwavering commitment to its humanitarian approach."
A week ago, the agency announced that an Emirati medical convoy had arrived in the besieged Gaza Strip, carrying "a variety of medicines and medical supplies, with the aim of alleviating the suffering of our Palestinian brothers and strengthening the resilience of the health sector amid the difficult circumstances" resulting from the Israeli genocide.
Despite the backlog of aid trucks on the Egyptian side of the Rafah land crossing, Israel is only allowing the entry of very small quantities that do not cover the needs of the Strip, as it has controlled the Palestinian side of the crossing since May 2024.
Since March 2, Israel has closed all Gaza crossings, allowing only a tiny number of trucks carrying humanitarian aid into the Strip, plunging the territory into a deepening famine confirmed by the United Nations.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 63,025 Palestinians dead and 159,490 injured, most of them children and women. More than 9,000 are missing, hundreds of thousands are displaced, and a famine has claimed the lives of 332 people, including 124 children
