The most recent Freedom Flotilla vessel ‘Handala’ set sail today from the port of Gallipoli, southern Italy, aiming to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
The ship departed after a technical two-day delay, carrying international activists and symbolic gifts from European supporters.
The voyage is part of a broader campaign organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international alliance that seeks to challenge the siege imposed on the Palestinian enclave since 2007.
Handala set sail from Syracuse, Sicily, over a week ago, before docking in Gallipoli.
There, the ship welcomed two French MPs from the left-wing La France Insoumise party, Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala, who joined dozens of activists on board.
During the Gallipoli stopover, high school students visited the vessel to learn about Palestinian history and the life of renowned Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al-Ali, who created the iconic character Handala.
“We want students to question the complicity of European governments with Israel,” Irish activist Caoimhe Butterly told Al Jazeera.
Children’s artwork adorned the walls of the ship, many addressed to their peers in Gaza. Visitors left handwritten messages and signatures in support of the humanitarian mission.
According to Butterly, these acts of solidarity included an Italian farmer’s gift of a cactus plant, intended for replanting in Gaza, and the touching donation of savings from three girls of a Tunisian-Italian family, their coin-filled jars offered with a plea for delivery to Gaza.
This latest journey comes just weeks after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla vessel Madleen, detaining 12 civilians who were attempting to deliver medical supplies and messages of solidarity to Gaza.
Just a month before intercepting the Madleen, Israel reportedly used drones to strike another Freedom Flotilla vessel, the Conscience, which was sailing near Malta en route to Gaza.
The 55-foot diesel-powered vessel, originally a Norwegian fishing boat named ‘Navarn’ and built in 1968, was acquired by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) in 2023 and renamed ‘Handala.’
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition emerged in 2010 following Turkish-led efforts to challenge the Gaza blockade. Its founding organizations include the Free Gaza Movement and the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza.
The most prominent mission to date remains the 2010 sailing of the Mavi Marmara, which was raided by Israeli forces, leaving 10 activists dead and dozens wounded.
The Handala is currently carrying symbolic aid and is expected to spend a week at sea, covering 1,800 km to reach Gaza’s shores.
