Freedom Flotilla Handala Sails to Gaza Despite Israeli Threats
Right now, a ship named Handala is sailing across the Mediterranean toward Gaza — and it’s not just any ship. It’s part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a global group of human rights activists challenging Israel’s blockade on Gaza. The mission? To deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to a population on the brink of starvation and, more importantly, to send a clear political message: the blockade must end.
The Handala , which left from Gallipoli, Italy just five days ago, carries essential supplies like baby formula, diapers, food, and even stuffed animals — all donations from Italian children for children in Gaza. But this is more than just an aid delivery; it’s a symbol of defiance, solidarity, and humanity in the face of what has been described as an “engineered famine.” According to Save the Children, nearly every child in Gaza — that’s over 1.1 million — is at risk of starvation. The situation is desperate.
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On board the Handala is Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian American human rights attorney who’s been part of these missions for over a decade. You might recall her from the 2010 flotilla that ended tragically when 10 activists were killed by Israeli forces. And now, despite serious risks, she’s sailing again, along with 20 others, including seven U.S. citizens and activists like Chris Smalls from the Amazon Labor Union.
And they’ve already faced danger. Before even leaving port, their boat was allegedly sabotaged — not once, but twice. A rope, strangely wrapped and weighted with chains, was found wound around the ship’s propeller. Then, when they ordered a water truck to fill their tanks, it came filled not with water, but with sulfuric acid. Thankfully, no one was seriously harmed, but it shows the lengths being taken to stop them.
Arraf says Israel has made it clear they want to prevent the Handala from reaching Gaza. The previous flotilla, the Madleen , was seized in international waters just last month. And that’s what the Handala is risking now — sailing toward a blockade widely condemned as illegal under international law, into a region Israel controls but has no legal claim over.
But this voyage is not just about aid. As Arraf powerfully puts it, this is about ending a policy that has turned Gaza into what she calls an “extermination camp.” The blockade has cut off food, fuel, and medical supplies. Children are starving. Civilians are being bombed. And the world, she says, is standing by.
So the Handala sails — carrying hope, resistance, and a demand for justice. Whether or not it reaches Gaza, it’s already shining a light on a crisis that can no longer be ignored.
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