Nathalia dunks
São Paulo, SP (Folhapress) – Brazilian Thiago Ávila and ten other activists are on the fourth day of travel aboard the Madleen sailboat, which departed from Italy towards the Gaza Strip. The goal is to pierce Israel’s siege and deliver food and medicine to residents, in the face of the humanitarian crisis in the region.
“The plan is to get to Gaza, unload the supplies with the support of our rescue boat, distribute them and continue to denounce what is happening. We have a medical team that can provide care. After that, we go back to seek more help. Our role is to open a humanitarian corridor of peoples. Once open, we will return with more things,” Ávila told Folha.
A few minutes after Ávila talked to the report, he posted an Instagram video in which he said a drone had overwhelmed the vessel. On Wednesday afternoon (4), Madleen sailed through the south of Greece after leaving Sicily. It is expected to reach the coast of Gaza until Saturday (7).
“We are well prepared, well -aware of the risks, aware of how to act in emergency, crisis or attack situations, to preserve life, physical integrity, and the freedom of all. We do it in order to ensure that the mission remains non -violent under any circumstances,” said the Brazilian.
On March 2, Israel blocked the entry of food and medicines for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza. Following a total suspension of humanitarian aid for 78 days, the government of Binyamin Netanyahu flexed the entry of help in the growing international pressure.
The chaotic resumption of humanitarian aid distribution has been carried out through the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (FHG), supported by Israel and the US. The volume, however, is considered insufficient by organizations such as the UN and the Red Cross. On Tuesday (3), at least 27 people died after Israeli army soldiers open fire near a place of humanitarian aid distribution in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Red Cross. Tel Aviv spoke of “warning shots.” This Wednesday (4) the distribution of aid was paralyzed.
In the previous mission of the so -called Freedom Flotilha, the conscious boat was the target of a two -drone attack at dawn on May 1. The damage caused forced your return. It was a larger vessel with 80 people from over 20 countries. Madleen is more modest: it takes 12 people from 7 different nationalities, and Thiago is the only non -European.
In April 2024, three UN special rapporteurs – Francesca Albanese (Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Michael Fakhri (right to food) and Balakrishnan Rajagopal (right to proper housing) – required safe passage to the Freedom Flotilha. They stated that Israel must comply with international law and orders from the International Court of Justice, allowing the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The Spanish government, through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, condemned the attack on Conscience and demanded that those responsible be held responsible.
In a statement in late February, Israeli Defense Minister Katz instructed Israel’s army to allow protest flotillas to reach the coast of Gaza, land protesters, and then seize ships to use them to evacuate Palestinians.
Flotilha’s initiative has existed since 2008. In 2010, a group of seven vessels was attacked by Israel, killing 9 people and injuring 50.
