Freedom Flotilla Coalition launches second Gaza-bound vessel Handala

Named Handala, after a Palestinian cartoon figure standing for resistance against Israeli occupation, the ship will set sail on July 13^th carrying humanitarian aid for the Palestinians suffering extreme shortage of food, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

According to the coalition, a group of international volunteer medics, lawyers, activists and human rights defenders will be on board Handala weeks after the previous vessel Madleen was attacked and seized by Israeli forces near the occupied territories.

“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 coalition said in a press statement.

Handala has already visited several ports across northern Europe and the UK in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness among the public on the ongoing Israeli genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.

“This mission is for the children of Gaza,” the coalition said in an earlier post on its social media X, highlighting that more than half the population of Gaza are minors. “Since October 2023, over 50,000 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.”