A NEW “Freedom Flotilla” boat has set sail for Gaza, around one month after Israel “illegally” seized and boarded another sailing.
Last month, activist Greta Thunberg, MEP Rima Hassan, and journalist Omar Faiad were among those detained by Israel after they attempted to take a “symbolic” amount of aid to Gaza – a Palestinian region under illegal Israeli occupation.
Their Madleen boat, sailing under a British flag meaning it was under UK jurisdiction, was detained in international waters before its occupants were taken to Israel.
Now, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has said that a new ship, named Handala, had set sail from Syracuse in Sicily, also with the aim of delivering aid to Gaza.
“This mission is for the children of Gaza,” the FFC said.
“Just weeks ago, Israeli forces illegally seized our boat ‘Madleen’ and abducted 12 unarmed civilians aboard her in international waters.
“Since March, more than 6572 Palestinians have been killed, over 23,000 injured, and hundreds shot while waiting for food. The children of Gaza now face famine, disease, and trauma few of us can imagine.
“We are not governments. We are people taking action where institutions have failed. We are not backing down.”
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is setting sail again. Join us in Siracusa, Italy — or online — on July 13 at 10:30 CEST (GMT+2) as we launch ‘Handala’ on its journey toward Gaza. Just weeks after Israeli forces illegally seized our boat ‘Madleen’ and abducted 12 unarmed… pic.twitter.com/heGoYHQXF3
— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) July 13, 2025
Video shared on social media showed the Handala, a 1960s converted fishing vessel, setting sail to chants of "Free Palestine" from the shore.
The FFC has a live tracker on its website allowing users to follow the progress of the aid boat.
It states: "As the Handala sails toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s ongoing blockade, a blockade deemed illegal under international law, there is a real and well-documented risk of interception by Israeli naval forces.
"Past Flotilla’s have faced violent raids, unlawful detentions, and the obstruction of humanitarian missions. In this context, the tracker is not simply a navigation tool; it is a form of protection.
"By continuously broadcasting the location, the tracker allows supporters, journalists, legal observers, and human rights organizations around the world to follow the vessel in real time."
The @GazaFFlotilla boat #Handala left the Sicilian port of Siracusa today, on the way to one last stop before continuing onwards to #BreakTheSiege & blockade of #Gaza. Canadian Dr. @yipengGe was on board, helping to bring much-needed medical aid #ForTheChildrenOfGaza pic.twitter.com/0kGwO2WbNa
— Canada Boat to Gaza (@CanadaBoatGaza) July 13, 2025
In 2010, the Israeli military attacked an aid ship bound for Gaza owned by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation – the Mavi Marmara – in international waters, killing 10 people on board and injuring dozens more.
Israel further prevented aid sailings to Gaza in 2011, 2015, and 2018.
In May 2025, the FFC blamed Israel after drones allegedly attacked another of its vessels carrying aid to Gaza, the Conscience, in international waters off Malta.
Israel cut off Gaza from all imports, including food and medicine, at the beginning of March. It has allowed some aid to enter the region through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (an Israel and US controlled group) since the end of May.
The GHF’s executive director is Johnnie Moore, an evangelical preacher and former adviser to Donald Trump.
The GHF controls four distribution sites in the strip, down from some 400 under the previous UN-led system.
More than 130 leading charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Gaza issued a joint call for an end to the “deadly” GHF aid distribution scheme earlier this month.
On Friday, the UN said that at least 798 people have been killed while trying to receive food aid in the Gaza Strip since the end of May – with 615 of those near to a GHF site.
