Climate activist Greta Samberg and 11 other activists set sail for Gaza on a ship aimed at “breaking the siege of Israel” on a devastated territory Sunday afternoon, organizers said.
Sailing Boat Madleen – run by the activist group Freedom Flotira Union – departing from the port of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy.
“Game of Thrones” star Liam Cunningham and French member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan are among the passengers. Hassan is forbidden from entering Israel due to her aggressive opposition to Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Activists said at a press conference on Sunday ahead of their departure that they will try to reach the coast of the Gaza Strip to bring about assistance and raise an “international awareness” about the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
“We’re doing this because no matter how much we oppose it, we have to keep trying,” Samberg shed tears during her speech.
“The moment we stop trying is when we lose humanity, and no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not as dangerous as the silence of the world facing live-streamed genocide,” she added.
Foiled attempt by the Fleet of Freedom to arrive in Gaza in early May
In mid-May, Israel eased Gaza’s lockdown slightly after nearly three months, allowing the territory a limited amount of humanitarian assistance.
Experts warn that if Gaza does not bring in more aid, Gaza is at a new risk of hunger. Due to Israeli restrictions, the collapse of law and order and widespread looting, it is extremely difficult for UN agencies and major aid groups to provide assistance to the roughly 2 million Palestinian residents of Gaza.
Activists expect that if they don’t stop, it will take seven days to reach their destination.
After organising a massive teenage protest in his hometown of Sweden, Samberg, who became an internationally renowned climate activist, was scheduled to board a Fleet ship of Freedom before last month.
An attempt to reach Gaza by sea in early May failed after another ship on the group’s ship, “Conscience,” was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off the coast of Malta.
The group denounced Israel for attacks that damaged the front of the ship.
The Flotilla group was the latest to see an increasing number of critics accusing Israel of being a genocide in the war in Gaza. Israel has vehemently denied the allegations, saying that the war is directed at Hamas extremists, not Gaza civilians.
“We are breaking the siege of Gaza at sea, but that is part of a broader strategy of mobilising to break the siege on the land,” said activist Thiago Avila.
Avila is headed towards Gaza in the upcoming global March. This is an international initiative that is open to doctors, lawyers and the media. This leaves Egypt and reaches the Rafa intersection in mid-June, asking Israel to stop the Gaza attack and repeat the border.
