A number of vessels aiming to carry pro-Palestinian activists to the
besieged Gaza Strip are preparing to set sail in a bid to break a long
Israeli blockade on the impoverished coastal enclave.
Members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) in the Italian city
of Palermo say they are close to setting sail and expect to reach Gaza
before the end of the month.
Representatives of the third aid flotilla to Gaza say the ships will
be carrying small amounts of medical supplies and aid such as solar
panels, as the main goal of the flotilla, which involves at least three
boats, is to break the Israeli blockade.
“Our aim is to end the siege of Gaza. We want the Palestinians to
know that we haven’t forgotten about them. There are many crises in the
world, but the situation in Gaza is also really bad, and we do remember
them,” activist Kalle Ohlsson said.
They say they are seeking to open Gaza’s port and allow freedom of movement and trade.
The Swedish Gaza-bound Marianne of Gothenburg is also expected to
join the other ships in Palermo after it left Sweden for the
Mediterranean back in early May.
The activists also voiced concern over their safety after reaching
international waters, referring to a deadly attack by Israeli navy
forces against the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship, part of the first aid
flotilla, back in 2010, which left 10 activists dead.
“We’re very concerned about safety. We have a strict non-violence
policy. We’re hoping Israel won’t use violence against us,” Ohlsson
added.
The second Freedom Flotilla, Stay Human, had planned to break the
siege on Gaza by sailing to the strip on July 5, 2011. However, it was
faced with opposition from the United States and a number of other
countries and it failed to carry out its mission.
Israel imposed a complete air, ground, and naval blockade on the Gaza
Strip back in 2007. The blockade has caused a serious decline in the
standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting
poverty.
Tel Aviv has also carried out a number of deadly wars against Gaza, leaving a trail of death and destruction there ever since.
Senin, 22 Juni 2015
Gaza-bound flotilla prepares to set sail
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