ISLAMABAD: The International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza has announced that a new wave of ships will depart from southern Italy on Wednesday to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave, according to Anadolu news agency.
In a statement, the committee said the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), in partnership with the Thousand Madleen to Gaza (TMTG) initiative, will launch several vessels as part of a coordinated effort to defy the siege. The departure coincides with the ongoing Global Sumud Flotilla, which currently involves about 50 ships already sailing toward Gaza.
‘Everyone’s duty to break the siege’
The committee stressed that as conditions in Gaza worsen, “it becomes a duty upon every free person in the world to take to the sea, break the siege, and provide a lifeline for the Gaza Strip.”
It added that the Freedom Flotilla is preparing to launch a ship carrying “a new and innovative idea” in early October, without disclosing details.
On September 16, the committee said that flotilla vessels would gather near Malta before crossing the Mediterranean together toward Gaza’s shores, though no specific date was provided.
The ships are carrying humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, for the besieged territory. This marks the first time such a large number of ships have sailed together toward Gaza, home to about 2.4 million Palestinians who have lived under an Israeli blockade for 18 years — one that has grown even more restrictive in recent months.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
