Israel Has Now Illegally Hijacked The Handala Aid Ship Bound For Gaza And Kidnapped The Activists On Board
FFC said that at 11:43 pm Palestine time, Israeli forces cut the cameras on the Handala and all communications with the crew have been lost since.
Israel has intercepted the Handala, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) ship sailing to break Israel’s siege on Gaza, and abducted all of the 21 activists on board.
This comes just weeks after the Madleen, another FFC vessel carrying aid to Gaza, was also intercepted by Israel in international waters, with the 12 activists on board being kidnapped by Israel and deported back to their countries.
The Handala, named after an iconic Palestinian cartoon character of a barefoot refugee child who turned his back on injustice and vowed not to turn around until Palestine is free, was also carrying essential humanitarian aid and set sail on Sunday, July 13, from Siracusa port in Italy.
There were 19 activists and 2 journalists on board: Christian Smalls, Huwaida Arraf, Jacob Berger, Bob Suberi, Braedon Peluso, Dr. Frank Romano, Emma Fourreau, Gabrielle Cathala, Justine Kempf, Ange Sahuquet, Antonio Mazzeo, Antonio "Tony" La Picirella, Santiago González Vallejo, Sergio Toribio, Robert Martin, Tania “Tan” Safi, Vigdis Bjorvand, Chloé Fiona Ludden, Hatem Aouin, Mohamed El Bakkali and Waad Al Musa.
On July 26, the FFC said in a statement that Israeli forces had violently intercepted the Handala, abducted the 21 activists on board and seized the aid in international waters 40 nautical miles from Gaza in violation of international maritime law.
FFC said that at 11:43 pm Palestine time, Israeli forces cut the cameras on the Handala and all communications with the crew have been lost since.
The Handala crew then arrived at the Port of Ashdod, according to the FFC legal team, which said it is still awaiting access to the crew.
Since its establishment in 2010, FFC ships have been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces, but activists are determined to keep on trying to ”take action where institutions have failed”.
Since Israel unilaterally broke the nearly two-month ceasefire in Gaza on March 18, it has also blocked all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza for more than 80 days, leaving 2.3 million Palestinians to starve.
It then allowed only a “basic” amount of aid to enter but through the controversial US- and Israeli-backed aid agency, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Israeli forces have killed more than 1,132 Palestinians trying to reach aid since GHF began distribution in late May.
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
Kassy Cho
