The mission comes amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following more than 20 months of war and a total blockade.
A Gaza-bound humanitarian vessel departed from the southern Italian port of Gallipoli on Sunday morning, in a bid to challenge Israel’s ongoing blockade of the besieged Palestinian territory.
“This mission is dedicated to the children of Gaza,” declared the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the initiative.
“In the face of genocide and intentional starvation, every act of solidarity counts. As long as Israel remains unaccountable, the violence will persist,” the group said in a statement.
The vessel, named Handala, is a converted 1968 Norwegian fishing trawler, loaded with medical supplies, food, and humanitarian equipment destined for Palestinian children in Gaza.
When governments fail, we sail.
The Handala freedom flotilla will set sail in less than 12 hours, for its last leg of its journey and will make its way from Gallipoli, Italy, to Gaza, Palestine.
May we see a safe passageway for Handala to Gaza. All eyes on Gaza. pic.twitter.com/PTW9HNXgNq
— Yipeng Ge 葛义朋 (@yipengGe) July 19, 2025
On board are around 20 international participants, including European parliamentarians, human rights activists, and journalists.
Organizers said the departure, originally scheduled for Friday, was delayed until Sunday to finalize technical and logistical arrangements. The ship’s journey across the Mediterranean is expected to take about a week, covering roughly 80 kilometers before reaching the waters off Gaza.
The Handala voyage follows a similar attempt by the Madleen in June, which was intercepted by Israeli naval forces before it could reach Gaza. The coalition stressed that “intimidation and arrests will not deter this growing wave of international solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
Among those on board are French parliamentarians Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala of the France Unbowed (LFI) Party, Palestinian-American activist Huwaida Arraf, and American labor leader Chris Smalls.
“We are fully aware of the risks, but they are insignificant compared to the daily suffering of Gaza’s children. We are standing up for peace and international law,” MEP Fourreau said prior to departure.
I ragazzi di Freedom Flotilla a bordo di Handala sono salpati da Gallipoli verso Gaza per rompere l’assedio criminale di Israele e portare cibo,medicine, giochi e sorrisi ai bambini palestinesi
❤️
Con voi, @GazaFFlotillac che lo fate anche per noi.#FreePalestine#BreakTheSiege pic.twitter.com/2Phd632DSz— mostro ✊🏼
The mission comes amid a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following more than 20 months of war and a total blockade.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of whom are women and children. The ongoing military assault has devastated the enclave, crippled its healthcare system, and caused severe food shortages.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.
(PC, Anadolu)
