As the genocide of Palestinians continues with daily massacres of scores, sometimes hundreds, of starving people being targeted and killed by the Israeli military as they come to attempt to get food, another ship of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla coalition, the Handala, is sailing to bring attention to the criminal actions of the State of Israel and its leadership.
While President Donald Trump, his cabinet and the U.S. Congress meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the International Criminal Court-designated war criminal, a small ship named Handala and a group of 18 participants is in final preparations for another mission to break the illegal Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and end the genocide.
Gaza Flotilla Ship Handala Under Way
The flotilla ship Handala moved on July 10 from its port for the past year, Augusta, Sicily, to its mission launch site in Siracusa, Sicily. Local organizers in Siracusa have created multiple events for the citizens of Sicily to join in challenging the ongoing Israeli genocide of Gaza.
As announced in our press release, on Sunday, July 13, 2025, “the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) will launch Handala—a civilian boat setting out to challenge Israel’s illegal, deadly blockade of Gaza. The vessel will carry life-saving humanitarian aid and a message of solidarity from people around the world refusing to stay silent as Gaza is starved, bombed, and buried under rubble.”
The Handala sails just weeks after Israel’s illegal attack on the Madleen, another Freedom Flotilla boat illegally seized by Israel in international waters. Twelve unarmed civilians—including a Member of the European Parliament, a doctor, journalists and human rights defenders—were abducted by Israeli commandos and taken against their will to Israel, where they were interrogated, abused and, finally, deported. Their “crime”? Attempting to bring food, medicine and solidarity to Palestinians under siege.
Two months ago, Israel bombed another of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition ships, the Conscience while it was in international waters off Malta and only hours before the Coalition was bringing 40 international participants onto the ship to sail to Gaza.
Several of the crew of the Conscience were injured by the shrapnel from the bombs dropped by drones. An Israeli C-130 aircraft had flown from Israel into Maltese airspace in the hours preceding the bombing and returned to Israel immediately after the explosions on the Conscience.
In a demonstration of U.S. complicity in the attempts to stop flotilla ships, in the afternoon before the bombing, the certification and flag of the Conscience was declared void by the issuing country of Palau, which is economically and militarily dependent on the U.S. through the Compact of Free Association. We are currently investigating who in the U.S. government gave orders to its compliant of Palau to decertify the ship.
Israeli Massacres of Palestinians in Gaza Continues
The Handala launches in the shadow of ongoing mass atrocities. Since March 18, 2025—when Israel broke the ceasefire and resumed attacks on Gaza—at least 6,572 Palestinians have been killed and over 23,000 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Among them, over 700 gunned down as they waited for food at distribution points controlled by the U.S.- and Israel-backed “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (GHF)—a death trap masquerading as an aid scheme; a structure of control and cruelty serving Israel’s genocide.
The Handala is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a grassroots international network that has been sailing against the blockade since 2010. On board will be volunteer medics, lawyers, social justice activists, journalists and community organizers. We are not governments. We are people, taking action where institutions have failed.
Handala—For the Children of Gaza
Named after the Palestinian cartoon figure Handala—a barefoot refugee child who turned his back on injustice and vowed not to turn around until Palestine is free—this boat carries his spirit, and that of every child in Gaza who has been denied safety, dignity and joy.
In 2023 and 2024, Handala sailed to ports across Europe and the UK, breaking through the media blockade, engaging the public, and building solidarity through press events, art installations, and political education in every port it visited.
Voyage of the Handala, a new documentary about the Israeli destruction of Gaza and the mission of the Handala, is being shown during the launch events in Siracusa, Sicily, on July 11 and 12.
The Handala mission is for the children of Gaza, who make up more than half of Gaza’s population and have been living under a brutal blockade and siege for their entire lives. Since October 2023, more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured, tens of thousands orphaned, and nearly a million forcibly displaced and homeless. All now face famine, disease and trauma few of us can imagine.
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About the Author
Ann Wright is a retired United States Army colonel and retired U.S. State Department official.
She was one of three State Department officials to publicly resign in direct protest of the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.
Since that time Colonel Wright has been a dedicated peace activist.
Ann can be reached at annw1946@gmail.com.