Freedom Flotilla Coalition Announces a Plan to Sail again to Gaza

Gaza, MINA – The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announces a plan to sail again to challenge Israel’s unlawful and deadly siege of the Gaza strip.

According to FFC’s written statement on Monday, in the coming weeks, a flotilla will put to sea carrying thousands of tonnes of urgently needed humanitarian aid that will be delivered directly to Palestinians in Gaza.

After 17 years of a brutal blockade and 4 months of genocidal assault, including weaponizing basic necessities, Palestinians in Gaza are facing an unprecedented and catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

On 26 January 2024 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered provisional measures to protect the Palestinians in Gaza from the plausible risk of genocide. Amongst six strongly worded measures, the ICJ ordered Israel to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

This decision followed the UN Security Council resolutions in November and December 2023 whichthat called for urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access to Gaza.

Israel’s blatant noncompliance with these orders, and the failure of otherworld governments to pressure the occupying power to comply, motivates civil society organisations to take action.

“It is incumbent upon us to ensure that Palestinians in Gaza receive humanitarian aid”, says Ismail Moola of Palestine Solidarity Alliance, South Africa.

“We expect that that the Security Council will enforce the ICJ ruling, but due to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza we need to act immediately,” he added.

Plans for the our Save Gaza Campaign are ongoing and the FFC calls on the government of Egypt to facilitate the delivery of life- sustaining aid from Rafah Al-Arish into Gaza. FFC’s Handala mission, For the Children of Gaza, led by our boat Handala will begin again set sail from Northern Europe to Gaza in May 2024.

The FFC gathered in Istanbul to plan these campaigns with representatives from the following organisations: Canadian Boat to Gaza (Canada), US Boat to Gaza (USA), Kia Ora Gaza (Aotearoa, New Zealand), Free Gaza Australia (Australia), Ship to Gaza (Norway), MyCARE (Malaysia), Ship to Gaza (Sweden), Palestine Solidarity Alliance (South Africa), IHH (Türkiye), Rumbo a Gaza (Spanish State), Mavi Marmara Association (Türkiye) and the International Campaign Committee to for Breaking the Siege of Gaza.

“Where our government fail, we sail. We are charting a course to the conscience of humanity, and our destination is in the betterment of humankind solidarity with the Palestinian people,” says Karen De Vito of Canadian Boat to Gaza.

“We call on civil society organisations from around the world who share our values and goals to support and join us,” Karen added. (R/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)