Freedom Flotilla Coalition's Handala Ship Sets Sail For Gaza
In a statement on Monday, the Chief Executive Officer of Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE), Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar, said that the Handala ship will sail to several countries in Northern Europe before continuing its journey to Gaza as part of the 'For the Children of Gaza' mission.
'The ship is carrying around 15 pro-Palestinian international activists as well as humanitarian aid supplies,' he said.
bootstrap slideshow
He added that the voyage is intended to show solidarity with the people of Gaza amid ongoing mass killings and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
During its journey, the Handala ship is scheduled to stop in Gallipoli, southeastern Italy, and will be joined by two French members of parliament from the 'La France Insoumise' party on July 18.
Kamarul Zaman said this voyage marks FFC's fourth attempt to break through the Israeli blockade.
Previous attempts included the incident involving two Zionist military drones attacking the ship Conscience in Maltese waters in early May, as well as the detention of activists by Israeli forces on June 12 while they were aboard the ship Madleen en route to Gaza, he said.
He stated that this mission is intended to protest the inhumane blockade imposed by the Israeli regime on the people of Gaza, which has prevented humanitarian aid from entering the conflict-stricken territory.
This mission also highlights the ongoing violence and brutality of the Zionist regime in Gaza, he added.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Romanian government survives no confidence vote and pushes tax hikes through
FILE PHOTO: Romania's interim President Ilie Bolojan walks to attend a European Union summit in Brussels, Belgium March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo BUCHAREST (Reuters) -Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's three-week old coalition government survived a no confidence vote on Monday, allowing it to push through unpopular tax hikes needed to lower the European Union's largest budget deficit. The government has fast-tracked through parliament an increase in value-added tax, excise duties and other levies from August to prevent a ratings downgrade to below investment level and to unblock access to EU funds. The broad coalition of four pro-European parties took power at the end of June, ending months of political deadlock after a presidential election was cancelled in December and was re-run in May. The parties have been reluctant to agree the hikes that have been criticised by employers and unionists while thousands of public sector workers have staged protests. The hard-right opposition filed Monday's no confidence motion and said it will file more. "I understand the opposition does not agree with the measures proposed by the government," Bolojan told lawmakers. "What then are the solutions? On the one hand we are told the problems in the economy are serious, on the other not to take these measures. We can't have both." While all four parties in the government approved the increases, the Social Democrats, the coalition's largest party without which a ruling majority cannot hold, criticised them on Monday. "For solid, continued political support we must quickly correct some of the absurd things from this first package of measures," Social Democrat leader Sorin Grindeanu said. The Social Democrats had supported replacing a flat rate of tax on income with progressive taxation instead of raising VAT, but the other parties did not support that and the tax authority has said it is not equipped to enforce it. Bolojan said earlier this month the coalition government would do everything possible to lower the deficit to around 8% of economic output by year-end from last year's 9.3% - above an initial 7% target - and closer to 6% in 2026. Under Romanian law, the tax measures could be challenged in the constitutional court, and the opposition last week said they would seek to do so. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; editing by Barbara Lewis)


New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Israeli 'humanitarian city' plan triggers backlash
AN Israeli proposal to move Gazans into a so-called "humanitarian city" has come under intense fire, slammed by critics as a costly distraction at best, and at worst a potential step towards forcing Palestinians off of their land. Defence Minister Israel Katz first unveiled the plan during a briefing with reporters last Monday. It envisions building from scratch a closed zone in southern Gaza during a potential 60-day ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas, currently under negotiation in Qatar. According to Katz, the area would initially house around 600,000 displaced people from southern Gaza and include four aid distribution sites managed by international organisations. The entire civilian population of Gaza — more than two million people — would eventually be relocated there. Critics, however, have questioned both the feasibility and ethics of the plan, with Israel's opposition leader citing its astronomical cost, and one expert pointing to lack of infrastructure in the area necessary to accommodate so many people. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has described the proposed facility as a "concentration camp", while Britain's minister for the Middle East and North Africa has said he is "appalled" by the idea. "Palestinian territory must not be reduced," said Hamish Falconer on X. "Civilians must be able to return to their communities." Nearly 21 months of war have devastated much of the Gaza Strip, displacing most of its population, creating dire shortages of food and other essentials, and killing 58,026 people, most of them civilians. The Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war led to 1,219 deaths, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures New arrivals to the proposed facility would undergo security screening to ensure they are not affiliated with Hamas, and once admitted, they would not be permitted to leave. Israeli military would provide security "from a distance", Katz has said. The criticism of the plan reportedly extends even to Israel's own security establishment. Army chief Eyal Zamir lambasted the proposal at a cabinet meeting, arguing it would divert focus from the military's core objectives: defeating Hamas and securing the return of hostages taken on Oct 7. The broadcaster Channel 12 reported that unnamed security officials viewed the plan as little more than a "gigantic tent city", and warned it could pave the way for a return to Israeli military rule in Gaza. Such a move aligns with the long-standing goals of far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, key coalition partners of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both Smotrich and Ben Gvir advocate the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza. The projected expense of the initiative — estimated between 10 and 20 billion shekels — has further fuelled domestic outrage as the cost of nearly two years of war mounts. "Netanyahu is letting Smotrich and Ben Gvir run wild with extremist delusions just to preserve his coalition. Instead of plundering the middle class's money, end the war and bring back the hostages," said opposition leader Yair Lapid on X on Sunday. The Palestinian Authority was scathing in appraisal of the proposed facility, with its foreign ministry saying: "The humanitarian city has nothing to do with humanity." That view was echoed by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which said the "plan would de-facto create massive concentration camps at the border with Egypt". A Palestinian official with knowledge of the ongoing ceasefire talks in Qatar said Hamas rejected plans to concentrate Palestinians in a small part of the south, viewing it as "preparation for forcibly displacing them to Egypt or other countries". Amnesty International, which has accused Israel of genocide, warned that relocating Gazans within the territory or "deporting them outside against their will would amount to the war crime of unlawful transfer".

Barnama
6 hours ago
- Barnama
Anwar Hints Announcing Special Appreciation For Malaysians
KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today indicated that he will be announcing an extraordinary appreciation for Malaysians in the near future. Even though he did not elaborate what it actually means, Anwar shared a poster that said 'COMING' on his Facebook which quickly caught the attention of netizens. "An Extraordinary Appreciation for Malaysians. With Malaysiaku," the poster reads.