Bangladeshi Photographer Shahidul Alam Reports on Gaza-Bound 'Conscience' Ship’s Journey

Shahidul Alam, the renowned Bangladeshi photographer onboard the Conscience ship, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), has shared an update on the ship's journey towards Gaza. In a Facebook post on October 8, he confirmed that the ship is likely to reach the "red zone" – a dangerous area near Gaza – by early morning.

Alam writes, “We are currently aboard the Conscience ship, which is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). Earlier, the Sumud Flotilla, also an initiative of the FFC, had all its ships seized by the Israeli military. Yet, we continue to move forward.”

The Conscience ship carries mostly journalists and medical professionals, two groups that have been especially targeted by Israel. Alam highlighted the unprecedented attacks on journalists and health workers by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), noting that this voyage is a protest against Israel’s illegal killings of these professionals and the blockade on Gaza.

Alam further explained that the ship had fallen behind schedule slightly, as they did not want to leave behind the smaller, slower vessels of the flotilla, including the Thousands of Madlins. While they have made faster progress compared to the Sumud Flotilla—which was forced to halt multiple times due to severe weather conditions—the slow-moving vessels have now caught up. Currently, the Conscience ship is about 70 nautical miles from the "red zone," where Israel had previously illegally detained earlier flotillas.

Alam concludes, "We are hoping to reach the 'red zone' by tomorrow morning." The "red zone" refers to the area where Israeli forces had previously detained ships from the Sumud Flotilla.

This mission aims to challenge the ongoing blockade of Gaza and protest against the illegal targeting of journalists and medical personnel by Israeli forces.