A four-ship Freedom Flotilla has set sail for the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel’s decade-old blockade of the besieged territory.
The Al-Awda, Arabic for The Return, vessel set sail a week ago from Norway and linked up with three other boats in Copenhagen, Denmark on Sunday, before beginning a tour of European ports which will end in the Gaza Strip.
“Freedom Flotilla” sets sail from Sweden to the Gaza Strip: The 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, filled with humanitarian aid and activists from all over the world, is on its way from Sweden in what is expected to be a 75-day trip to Gaza. Weiterlesen … https://t.co/IMRH8ddgXt
— Harald Pflueger (@haraldpflueger) May 21, 2018
A statement said:
“In response to the brutal Israeli blockade, for seven years, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has carried out non-violent direct actions aimed at raising international awareness and putting pressure on the international community to end it. We will continue to put pressure on our governments and protest their complicity with Israel’s crimes against humanity.”
One of the ships of the Freedom Flotilla to break the siege that imposed on #Gaza bears the name "Return ship" and carrying a number of Palestinians abroad pic.twitter.com/Qt1z89Jxat
— #FreePalestine ?? (@Taghreeba) May 20, 2018
The boat was named to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, or Catastrophe, in which more than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forcibly expelled from their homes during the establishment of the Israeli state.
A spokesperson of the flotilla told Al Araby Al Jadeed that the participants want to send a message that:
“The Palestinian cause is not alone or isolated; many freemen around the world are advocates for this just cause”
This year’s freedom flotilla comes just weeks after Israeli forces opened fire on demonstrators in Gaza protesting for the right of return, killing more than 60.
“The blockade of Gaza is in its 11th year. It is such a gross violation of international law that it can be characterized as a crime against humanity,” participant Mikkel Grüner, a Danish national who is city councilor in Bergen, Norway, said.
Volunteers will join the multinational fleet for different legs of the journey, with a select group assigned to participate in the final run to Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla is arriving in Denmark! Come & give them a good welcome!
Sunday, May 20, at 16h00 the boats Hurriyah (Freedom), #AlAwda (The Return) & Mairead will arrive in #Copenhagen, where they will spend two days before continuing towards #Gaza.https://t.co/OvWnU3b81N pic.twitter.com/dVQuozofDH— Freedom Flotilla (@GazaFFlotilla) May 20, 2018
The flotilla schedule will be kept confidential to guard against interference. In the past, mechanical failures have affected previous flotilla attempts, with allegations Israel may have tampered with the ships.
(Al Araby Al Jadeed, PC, Social Media)
