New 10-vessel flotilla departs Sicily with aid to join Sumud

A flotilla of 10 vessels, carrying humanitarian aid and pro-Palestinian activists, left the port of Catania in Sicily on Saturday with the goal of breaking the illegal ‘Israeli’ blockade on Gaza.

The flotilla, which was delayed for several days, has approximately 60 people from 15 different nationalities on board, including French and other European parliamentarians.

The new fleet, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and "Thousand Madleens," is expected to join the Sumud Flotilla, which is currently off the coast of the Greek island of Crete.

“We Will Not Stop, No Matter the Cost”

In a press conference, the organizers stated, “These civilian missions signal that the demand to end Israel’s blockade cannot be silenced or deterred.”

The spokesperson for the coalition, Tan Safi, said, "We will not stop no matter what the cost. We are sailing to break the illegal Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has deprived Palestinians of their right to self-determination, sovereignty, and freedom of movement, among other human rights violations."

French Member of the European Parliament Melissa Camara called on EU member states to "protect the flotillas so that we can deliver the aid we want to provide to the Gaza Strip to save lives."

Another French MP, Alma Dufour, added, "We are risking our lives because they have done nothing to stop this genocide, and they are letting Israel destroy the lives of two million Gazans and destroy the West Bank."