Istanbul – The Freedom Flotilla Alliance is putting the final touches before launching on its scheduled date tomorrow, Friday, from the port of Tuzla, western Turkey, where volunteers from civil society organizations representing 12 countries from around the world will participate.
The flotilla aims to break the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by the Israeli occupation and ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid.
The fleet, supervised by the Turkish Relief Foundation and the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, includes a diverse group of volunteers coming from different parts of the world. This diversity includes doctors, thinkers, journalists, and human rights activists, which reflects the global nature of the initiative and the broad support it enjoys.
The flotilla’s media coordinator, Philip Lopez, told Al Jazeera Net, “We have ensured that all technical standards and equipment necessary to launch the Freedom Flotilla towards Gaza have been achieved on Friday, April 26.”
He continued, “Today, the new participants are undergoing intensive training on direct peaceful action, in preparation for this important mission.”
Lopez pointed out that the fleet contains more than 5,000 tons of food and medical aid and drinking water. To alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
He explained to Al Jazeera Net that work is now underway to “transfer the boats to a port in Istanbul to complete all official procedures and facilitate the process of participants boarding the fleet by Friday morning.”
Lopez quoted Zohar Chamberlain, a member of the campaign’s executive committee, as saying, “The Freedom Flotilla receives broad support from millions of people around the world who denounce their governments’ failure to protect the Palestinians and prevent the genocide committed by Israel, including the starvation of the Palestinian people.” Which prompts us to demand that the governments of the flotilla participants assume their international legal responsibilities and put pressure on Israel to ensure that the flotilla is able to safely reach Gaza.”
Zaher Birawi, head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza and a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Alliance, also revealed that this step represents the first start of the launch of the flotilla from several countries.
He explained that the ships were equipped with the latest logistical technologies to ensure the safety of participants and humanitarian aid, in preparation for any possible confrontation with the Israeli occupation forces.
In light of the continued aggression on Gaza for more than 200 days, Birawi asserts that the management of the fleet by civil society organizations is “clear evidence of the inability of the international community to perform its duties even in the simplest aspects, such as delivering aid to more than two million people under bombardment.”
He added that the flotilla represents the cry of free people in the face of the injustice and international silence that befalls the people of Gaza, pointing out the failure of the world to implement international resolutions that guarantee the Palestinians the right to live in freedom and peace.
He stressed that the fleet is transporting international solidarity from the capitals of the world to the sea in an attempt to stop the war and provide support to the people of Gaza, expressing his hope to achieve the desired goals and break the siege.
Al-Birawi also revealed that there are ongoing diplomatic and security attempts by some countries to stop the movement, but he stressed that the determination of activists and heads of humanitarian institutions will overcome these challenges.
According to what was reported by the Israeli Channel 12, the Israeli occupation army conducted intensive training in preparation for a possible confrontation with the Freedom Flotilla.
The channel added that Israel has intensified its diplomatic movements with various countries in recent days, in conjunction with implementing security preparations that include the possibility of armed control of the “Marmara 2” ship.
The channel indicated that the elite units of the Israeli Navy began training to raid the ship, preparing for all possible scenarios, which is reminiscent of the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla in 2010, which had also set off from Turkey towards Gaza.
In this regard, human rights activist Howaida Arraf said that the activists who will participate in the trip are aware that Israel might attack the fleet, noting that the participants will be trained in “non-violent resistance,” while the peace activist and former officer in the US Army – she resigned in 2003 in protest – warned During the war in Iraq, Israel made sure that any attempt to board the ships of the Freedom Flotilla or attack them would be illegal.
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2024-04-25 10:57:34