"Hanthala" Ship.. Activists Prepare to Challenge the Israeli Naval Blockade on Gaza

Peace activists from several countries set off on a ship to challenge the Israeli blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“The purpose of this mission is to send a message that civil society is not happy with what is happening in Gaza,” said Filipe Lopes, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Portuguese media coordinator on board the Hanzala, a former fishing vessel that has been modified for the mission, as it stopped in Malta.

The journey is fraught with danger. In 2010, Israeli forces stopped another coalition ship on a similar mission to Gaza, boarded it and killed nine activists. Israeli forces have similarly stopped and boarded other ships without loss of life.

“We expect or face resistance throughout our mission… Our work is not illegal in any way. The International Court of Justice has asked them to allow aid into Gaza without restrictions and I am begging them to allow us and other aid providers to pass immediately,” said Australian activist Michael Coleman.

The Hanzala was visited in Malta by retired US Army Colonel and former diplomat Ann Wright, 78, who was on another coalition ship that was boarded by Israeli forces in 2010 in an incident that killed nine activists.

“These are very brave people, because we don’t know what will happen,” Wright said. “And if the Israelis stop them, we know it will be tough.”

The colorful ship, Hanthala, is carrying activists from Italy, France, Norway, Australia, the Netherlands, Syria and a number of Palestinians. The ship has visited a number of ports in Scandinavia and the Mediterranean to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.

The ship bears slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “Gaza, you are not alone,” and “Stop the genocide,” and its humanitarian cargo is mostly filled with medicine.

The journey across the eastern Mediterranean to Gaza takes a week, but organizers said they may stop at another port on the way.

Source: Reuters