Freedom Flotilla Coalition Launches New Fleet from Italy to Break Gaza Blockade
The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza launched a new wave of boats on Saturday in a bid to challenge the Zionist occupation’s blockade on the Palestinian enclave.
In a statement, the committee said 10 civilian ships set sail from the port of San Giovanni Li Cuti in the Sicilian city of Catania, carrying around 70 activists from more than 20 countries, in cooperation with Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
Participants include nine elected parliamentarians from Europe and the US.
“This step comes as Israel’s war on Gaza approaches its second year, marked by continued bombardment, starvation tactics, deliberate killings of children and civilians, as well as repeated attacks on journalists, medical crews, hospitals, and the mass displacement of families,” the committee said, accusing world powers of “remaining silent while continuing to arm Israel and shielding it from accountability.”
According to organizers, this flotilla continues a long series of maritime missions, including the Madleen, Handala, and dozens of other boats launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition over the past 15 years, as well as ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla, many of which were intercepted or attacked by the Zionist occupation forces in international waters.
In parallel, more than 50 Palestinians have been killed on Saturday in relentless Zionist attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, including 27 in Gaza City alone, where the occupation’s ground invasion continues with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians trapped, starved, and under fire from all sides.
The Zionist occupation’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed at least 65,549 Palestinians and wounded 167,518 others since October 2023. Thousands more are believed buried under the rubble.
