Ship 'Hanzelet' Sets Sail from Italy on Urgent Humanitarian Mission to Gaza

Yesterday, Sunday, the ship 'Hanzelet' set sail from the port of Siracusa in Sicily heading to the besieged Gaza Strip, carrying about 15 activists supporting the Palestinian cause and equipped with important humanitarian aid including medical supplies, food, children's supplies, and medicines.

This step comes amidst the severe humanitarian crisis faced by the people of Gaza after a war that lasted more than twenty months and a strict Israeli blockade that began in March 2025.

The ship 'Hanzelet' is part of the non-violent international 'Freedom Flotilla' movement in support of Palestinians, starting its journey from the port of Siracusa at 12:00 noon local time (10:00 GMT), heading to cover a distance of approximately 1800 kilometers to reach the shores of Gaza within a week on average.

The port area witnessed a gathering of dozens of supporters who raised Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, chanting slogans of 'Free Palestine', expressing their support for the humanitarian initiative.

In an additional show of support, the ship is scheduled to stop in Gallipoli, southeast Italy, on July 18, where two French deputies from the 'France Unbowed' party, Gabriel Katella and Emma Foro, will join. They emphasized the importance of this journey in breaking the blockade imposed on Gaza and delivering aid, expressing their hope to reach their destination despite what they described as a 'violation of international law' in case the ship is intercepted.

This initiative comes after a month and a half of Israeli authorities intercepting a previous ship, 'Madeline', which also set sail from Italy on June 1 carrying activists including the famous environmental activist Greta Thunberg and European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who were arrested after the ship was intercepted off the coast of Gaza.

It is worth mentioning that Israel has imposed a strict blockade on Gaza since March 2025, following military operations in response to an attack by Hamas in October 2023, leading to a severe shortage of basic necessities and a humanitarian crisis described as catastrophic.

This new journey reflects the efforts of the international community in solidarity with Palestinians amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis, seeking to break the blockade imposed on the region and provide urgent humanitarian support to the people of Gaza.