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Gaza Freedom Flotilla drops anchor in UK waters

Sunday, 02 June 2024 2:54 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 02 June 2024 2:54 PM ]

The Handala docked in Bristol in 2023. (Photo by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition)

A small crowd came together to support a big mission in London: to welcome the Freedom Flotilla boat the "Handala" on its journey to Gaza. Severe weather has kept the boat away from the reception spot.

More >>> Gaza Freedom Flotilla drops anchor in UK waters

One of the activists on board speaks of the purpose of the voyage.

The purpose is to break the siege. There's so much aid being delivered now by so many nations.

Our Istanbul partners have delivered more than 5000 tonnes in a cargo ship, Akdeniz, other countries have sent so much and there are trucks waiting.

Obviously we all know this, the problem is not the amount of aid, the problem is the IDF will not allow it to cross into Gaza to be given to people; it's as simple as that.

John Turnbull, Freedom Flotilla Coalition

More >>> UN experts urge Israel to allow Freedom Flotilla’s ships to safely reach Gaza

For nearly two decades, Israel has only allowed 25% of supplies that the people of Gaza need; since October last year, next to nothing.

For months now hundreds of activists have been organizing, where their governments have failed, trying to get the desperately needed humanitarian aid into the battered Gaza Strip and they intend to do it by boat.

People are asking for this genocide to stop.

Unfortunately, the leaders, or so called leaders, are cowards, are not able to speak out, whether because of the [sic] money, whether they have been bought, whether they're part of the conspiracy to ethnic cleans the Palestinian people from Gaza because of the gas, because of so many different things.

We are not sure why they are still cowards and they are not speaking out.

Samer Jaber, Palestinian Forum in Britain

More >>> New Freedom Flotilla to set sail for Gaza in defiance of Israel's naval blockade

The movement to break Israel's naval blockade is more than a decade old.

May 31^st marked the 14^th anniversary of the Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, one of the six ships carrying hundreds of activists from over 50 countries. Israeli forces killed 10 of them.

From UK waters the Handala will call at ports in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and, The Netherlands, on its way to physically challenge Israel's illegal embargo on Gaza as the US backed Israeli genocide rages on.