Eleven More Ships Set Sail to Break Israeli Blockade of Gaza

A new fleet of 11 ships has departed toward Gaza in an effort to break the Israeli blockade, carrying nearly 100 human rights activists and passengers, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announced on Thursday, October 2. The news was reported by Anadolu Agency.

Since 2008, the FFC has organized multiple missions to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and highlight the plight of Palestinians under blockade.

According to FFC, the convoy began on September 25 with Italian and French-flagged vessels departing from Otranto, Italy. On September 30, the ship Conscience joined the fleet, with eight more vessels under the banner Thousand Madelines to Gaza expected to join shortly.

Together, the 11-ship flotilla is heading toward Gaza. Renowned Bangladeshi photographer and rights activist Shahidul Alam is aboard the Conscience, the largest ship in the convoy. In a video message on Facebook on Friday, October 3, Alam stated that the fleet has now entered Palestinian time zone.

Earlier in September, another flotilla named Global Sumud set sail toward Gaza but was intercepted by the Israeli navy, which detained over 500 activists aboard 44 ships. Israel has previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, detaining passengers and confiscating cargo.

For nearly 18 years, the lives of 2.4 million people in Gaza have been severely affected by the blockade. Over the past two years, Israeli military operations and a comprehensive blockade have caused a severe humanitarian crisis, including acute food shortages and famine risks in the Mediterranean coastal enclave.