Latest news with #Handala
Leaders
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Leaders
In Photos: Gaza Aid Boat Departs Italy as Activists Defy Israeli Blockade
A Gaza-bound boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid departed from Sicily on Sunday, more than a month after Israel detained and deported individuals aboard a previous vessel. The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after 12:00 PM (10:00 GMT), according to an AFP reporter, with approximately fifteen activists on board. Several dozen supporters gathered at the port, waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyeh scarves, cheering the boat's departure and chanting 'Free Palestine.' Mission and Supplies The former Norwegian trawler is loaded with essential supplies, including medical equipment, food, and children's items. The boat will sail for about a week in the Mediterranean, covering roughly 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) in hopes of reaching Gaza's coast. In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid stalled truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May. The Handala will make a stop in Gallipoli, southeastern Italy, where two members of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) will join the mission. Previous Mission and Challenges This initiative follows the departure of the Madleen, another ship that left Italy for Gaza, carrying aid and activists, including Greta Thunberg, with Israeli authorities intercepting the Madleen about 185 kilometers west of Gaza's coast. Gabrielle Cathala, one of the France Unbowed party members set to board the Handala on 18 July, stated, 'This is a mission for the children in Gaza. We aim to break the humanitarian blockade and end the summer silence on the genocide.' She expressed hope for reaching Gaza but warned that failure would represent yet another violation of international law by Israel. Human Cost: War and Its Aftermath The ongoing conflict began with Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023, resulting in 1,219 deaths, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Out of 251 individuals taken hostage that day, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 that the Israeli military reports deceased. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry claims that at least 57,882 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died due to Israel's military reprisals. The United Nations considers these figures reliable, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian aid and intervention. Short link : Post Views: 20
Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
New Gaza-bound aid boat leaves Italy
A Gaza-bound boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid left Sicily on Sunday, over a month after Israel detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel. The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after noon (1000 GMT), an AFP journalist saw, carrying about 15 activists. Several dozen people, some holding Palestinian flags and others wearing keffiyeh scarves, gathered at the port to cheer the boat's departure with cries of "Free Palestine". The former Norwegian trawler -- loaded with medical supplies, food, children's equipment and medicine -- will sail for about a week in the Mediterranean, covering roughly 1,800 kilometres, in the hope of reaching Gaza's coast. In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid an impasse in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May. The boat will make a stop at Gallipoli, in southeastern Italy, where two members of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) are expected to join. The initiative comes six weeks after the departure of the Madleen, another ship that left Italy for Gaza transporting aid and activists, including Greta Thunberg. Israel authorities intercepted the Madleen about 185 kilometres west of Gaza's coast. "This is a mission for the children in Gaza, to break the humanitarian blockade and to break the summer silence on the genocide," said Gabrielle Cathala, one of the two France Unbowed party members set to board the boat on July 18. "I hope we will reach Gaza but if not, it will be yet another violation of international law" by Israel, she added. Reporting by AFP
Malaysian Reserve
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Malaysian Reserve
New Gaza-bound aid boat leaves Italy
SYRACUSE – A Gaza-bound boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid left Sicily on Sunday, over a month after Israel detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel. The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after 12:00 pm (1000 GMT), an AFP journalist saw, carrying about fifteen activists. Several dozen people, some holding Palestinian flags and others wearing keffiyeh scarves, gathered at the port to cheer the boat's departure with cries of 'Free Palestine'. The former Norwegian trawler — loaded with medical supplies, food, children's equipment and medicine — will sail for about a week in the Mediterranean, covering roughly 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles), in the hope of reaching Gaza's coast. In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid an impasse in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May. The boat will make a stop at Gallipoli, in southeastern Italy, where two members of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) are expected to join. The initiative comes six weeks after the departure of the Madleen, another ship that left Italy for Gaza transporting aid and activists, including Greta Thunberg. Israel authorities intercepted the Madleen about 185 kilometres west of Gaza's coast. 'This is a mission for the children in Gaza, to break the humanitarian blockade and to break the summer silence on the genocide,' said Gabrielle Cathala, one of the two France Unbowed party members set to board the boat on July 18. 'I hope we will reach Gaza but if not, it will be yet another violation of international law' by Israel, she added. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Out of 251 people taken hostage that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 that the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 57,882 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's military reprisals. The UN considers the figures reliable. –AFP
The National
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Freedom Flotilla's Handala sets sail for Gaza to break Israel blockade
Last month, activist Greta Thunberg, MEP Rima Hassan, and journalist Omar Faiad were among those detained by Israel after they attempted to take a 'symbolic' amount of aid to Gaza – a Palestinian region under illegal Israeli occupation. Their Madleen boat, sailing under a British flag meaning it was under UK jurisdiction, was detained in international waters before its occupants were taken to Israel. Now, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has said that a new ship, named Handala, had set sail from Syracuse in Sicily, also with the aim of delivering aid to Gaza. READ MORE: 'Good case' Israel breached international law with Madleen seizure 'This mission is for the children of Gaza,' the FFC said. 'Just weeks ago, Israeli forces illegally seized our boat 'Madleen' and abducted 12 unarmed civilians aboard her in international waters. 'Since March, more than 6572 Palestinians have been killed, over 23,000 injured, and hundreds shot while waiting for food. The children of Gaza now face famine, disease, and trauma few of us can imagine. 'We are not governments. We are people taking action where institutions have failed. We are not backing down.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is setting sail again. Join us in Siracusa, Italy — or online — on July 13 at 10:30 CEST (GMT+2) as we launch 'Handala' on its journey toward Gaza. Just weeks after Israeli forces illegally seized our boat 'Madleen' and abducted 12 unarmed… — Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) July 13, 2025 Video shared on social media showed the Handala, a 1960s converted fishing vessel, setting sail to chants of "Free Palestine" from the shore. The FFC has a live tracker on its website allowing users to follow the progress of the aid boat. It states: "As the Handala sails toward Gaza to challenge Israel's ongoing blockade, a blockade deemed illegal under international law, there is a real and well-documented risk of interception by Israeli naval forces. "Past Flotilla's have faced violent raids, unlawful detentions, and the obstruction of humanitarian missions. In this context, the tracker is not simply a navigation tool; it is a form of protection. "By continuously broadcasting the location, the tracker allows supporters, journalists, legal observers, and human rights organizations around the world to follow the vessel in real time." The @GazaFFlotilla boat #Handala left the Sicilian port of Siracusa today, on the way to one last stop before continuing onwards to #BreakTheSiege & blockade of #Gaza. Canadian Dr. @yipengGe was on board, helping to bring much-needed medical aid #ForTheChildrenOfGaza — Canada Boat to Gaza (@CanadaBoatGaza) July 13, 2025 In 2010, the Israeli military attacked an aid ship bound for Gaza owned by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation – the Mavi Marmara – in international waters, killing 10 people on board and injuring dozens more. Israel further prevented aid sailings to Gaza in 2011, 2015, and 2018. In May 2025, the FFC blamed Israel after drones allegedly attacked another of its vessels carrying aid to Gaza, the Conscience, in international waters off Malta. Israel cut off Gaza from all imports, including food and medicine, at the beginning of March. It has allowed some aid to enter the region through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (an Israel and US controlled group) since the end of May. READ MORE: The whole world is watching the Madleen's journey to Gaza on social media The GHF's executive director is Johnnie Moore, an evangelical preacher and former adviser to Donald Trump. The GHF controls four distribution sites in the strip, down from some 400 under the previous UN-led system. More than 130 leading charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Gaza issued a joint call for an end to the 'deadly' GHF aid distribution scheme earlier this month. On Friday, the UN said that at least 798 people have been killed while trying to receive food aid in the Gaza Strip since the end of May – with 615 of those near to a GHF site.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
New Gaza-bound aid boat leaves Italy
SYRACUSE: A Gaza-bound boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid left Sicily on Sunday, over a month after Israel detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel. The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after 12:00 pm (1000 GMT), an AFP journalist saw, carrying about fifteen activists. Several dozen people, some holding Palestinian flags and others wearing keffiyeh scarves, gathered at the port to cheer the boat's departure with cries of 'Free Palestine'. The former Norwegian trawler -- loaded with medical supplies, food, children's equipment and medicine -- will sail for about a week in the Mediterranean, covering roughly 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles), in the hope of reaching Gaza's coast. In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid an impasse in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May. The boat will make a stop at Gallipoli, in southeastern Italy, where two members of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) are expected to join. The initiative comes six weeks after the departure of the Madleen, another ship that left Italy for Gaza transporting aid and activists, including Greta Thunberg. Israel authorities intercepted the Madleen about 185 kilometres west of Gaza's coast. 'This is a mission for the children in Gaza, to break the humanitarian blockade and to break the summer silence on the genocide,' said Gabrielle Cathala, one of the two France Unbowed party members set to board the boat on July 18. 'I hope we will reach Gaza but if not, it will be yet another violation of international law' by Israel, she added. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Out of 251 people taken hostage that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 that the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 57,882 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's military reprisals. The UN considers the figures reliable. – AFP
