Global Decision Fleet Preparing to Break the Israeli Blockade with Important Step of Setting Sail

In Tunisia, the officials of the Palestinian Joint Action Coordination and the representatives of the Global Decision Fleet met at the headquarters of the Tunisian General Labor Union for a press conference.

Hayfa el-Mansuri, a member of the Global Decision Fleet, said in his speech that representatives from 44 countries gathered in Tunisia for preparations to join the fleet.

Mansuri explained that four initiatives, namely the Decision Fleet of Morocco, the Global Movement Toward Gaza, the East Asia Initiative, and the Freedom Fleet, came together to break the blockade on Gaza.

Regarding their purpose of gathering, Mansuri stated, “Today we have gathered for a common purpose; to break the illegal blockade on Gaza, to try to open a humanitarian aid corridor by sea, and to end the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. This summer, dozens of boats, large and small, will set sail to Gaza from various coasts of the world as the first coordinated, simultaneous, and joint civilian fleet in history.”

Mansuri stated that the fleet’s first mission will depart from Spain on August 31, and the second mission will depart from Tunisia on September 4.

More than 6,000 activists have applied

Seif Abu Kishk, a member of the Global Decision Fleet, emphasized that over 6,000 activists from all over the world have applied to join the fleet.

Kishk mentioned that participants will engage in various activities and camp events in the ports they will depart from.

Regarding the purpose of the fleet, Kishk said, “This is a new initiative to put pressure on governments to break the blockade on Gaza with dozens of boats and thousands of activists.”

Israel had previously intervened with aid ships that set sail with civil initiatives to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Hanzala Ship

The Hanzala ship had departed from Syracusa Port in Italy on July 13.

The ship, which set sail on July 20 to deliver aid to Gaza, where deaths from starvation have occurred due to the blockade imposed by Israel, had 21 activists from 10 different countries on board.

An announcement made via the Freedom Fleet Coalition’s WhatsApp channel stated that the ship was intervened with in international waters in the late hours of July 26, and Israeli soldiers lowered the security cameras.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that the ship, which was raided in international waters, was towed towards the country’s shores with the detained activists.

Of the activists brought to Ashdod Port on July 27, two Israeli citizens were released after being taken to the police station, and five activists were deported on July 28.

Fourteen Hanzala activists were detained until July 28, pending their acceptance of deportation, and were taken to Givon Prison in Ramla.

Seven of the activists held in Givon Prison were released on July 29, and five others were deported later.

Israel had also intervened with the Madleen ship last month

As part of the latest mission organized by the “Freedom Fleet Coalition” civil society organization to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver aid to the region, the 18-meter Madleen ship set sail for Gaza from the San Giovanni Li Cuti Port in Catania, Italy, on June 1.

The Israeli army intervened with the ship aiming to break the blockade on Gaza on the early hours of June 9 and detained 12 volunteers, including Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, FFC Press Coordinator Yasemin Acar, Hüseyin Şuayb Ordu from Turkey, Thiago Avila from Brazil, and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The volunteers were brought to Israel, and four of them were deported from the country on the morning of June 10.

The Freedom Fleet Coalition announced on June 16 that all other human rights defenders detained by Israel had been released.