The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza reported on Facebook that the flotilla continues its advance toward the besieged Strip. An activist on board the boat, Alma, confirmed that they are now 430 nautical miles (692 kilometers) from Gaza. He explained that they are being subjected to repeated drone attacks, but they are determined to continue sailing "despite Israeli threats."
The Maghreb Steadfastness Fleet, a component of the coalition, had previously announced that it had crossed into Greek territorial waters despite unidentified military aircraft flying over its ships twice within a week.
The flotilla set sail from the Spanish port of Barcelona in late August, followed by another convoy from the Italian port of Genoa in early September, carrying humanitarian aid, most notably medical supplies. More than 500 activists from 40 countries are participating in the flotilla, as part of a coalition that includes the Freedom Flotilla Federation, the Global Gaza Movement, the Steadfastness Flotilla, and the Malaysian organization Sumud Nusantara.
In this context, the "Freedom Flotilla," consisting of 10 ships loaded with humanitarian aid, departed the port of Catania on the Italian island of Sicily yesterday, Saturday, carrying approximately 60 people of 15 different nationalities, including French and European parliamentarians.
This new flotilla, organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madelines, is expected to join the "Resilience Flotilla" off the Greek island of Crete, which includes more than 50 boats and hundreds of activists from approximately 45 countries.
The organizers emphasized in a press release that "these civilian missions indicate that the demand to end the Israeli blockade cannot be silenced or deterred," explaining that the ships are carrying medical supplies and dry food.
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Israel, the occupying power in Palestine, has previously carried out piracy against ships bound for Gaza, seizing them and deporting the activists on board.
This is the first time that dozens of ships have set sail together toward Gaza, home to approximately 2.4 million Palestinians, in a collective attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Strip.
The Israeli occupation has tightened its blockade since March 2, closing all crossings into Gaza and preventing any food, medicine, or humanitarian aid from entering the Strip. This has plunged the Strip into famine despite the backlog of aid trucks at its borders.
Israel sometimes allows very limited aid into the Strip, which fails to meet the minimum needs of the starving population and does not end the famine, especially since most trucks are robbed by gangs that the Gaza government claims Israel protects.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza with American support, leaving 65,926 martyrs and 167,783 wounded, most of them children and women, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 442 Palestinians, including 147 children.
