The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) reported this morning that Israeli military had approached their ship, which was heading to Gaza (Palestine) with humanitarian aid and in which the Swedish activist was traveling. After several notices and rodeos by the Israel authorities, communication with the boat was lost ,.
The group published a photo on Telegram in the early hours of Monday in which members of the Madleen crew were seen – which is called the ship – sitting inside the ship, with life jackets and hands high. “Type drones quadcopter They surround the boat and spray it with a white substance similar to paint. Communications are blocked and disturbing radio sounds are emitted, “the Freedom Fleilla Coalition (FFC) reported on its messaging application channel.
Later, he confirmed that the ship had been “attacked in international waters.” The Israel Army confirmed that it had been made with the ship and transferred it to the port of Ashdod, in the south of the country, where it was going to show its occupants the video of Hamas’s attacks against its territory of October 7, 2023. Tel Aviv’s action has been widely condemned by the international community, of governments to human rights groups.
The Spanish Foreign Ministry, for example, to “protest” the interception of the flotilla, in which Sergio Toribio, a Spanish activist with whom Madrid is in full contact.
But what is the Fleeta de la Libertad? What objectives do you have, what is your career and your financing?
The coalition of the Fleeta de la Libertad (which would be its official name in Spanish) is a movement of “popular solidarity” composed of campaigns and initiatives from different parts of the world that work together to put an end to the illegal Israeli block of Gaza. Although the organization of a mission with humanitarian aid is its most colorful gesture, its activity is stable with conferences, campaigns or awareness tasks.
its objectives are:
- “Breaking the one that Israel has maintained for more than 15 years over the Gaza Strip, which has not only generated a continuous humanitarian crisis, but has deprived the Palestinians of Gaza of their right to health, security and freedom of movement, among other fundamental human rights.” It began to establish in 2007, after Hamas’s electoral victory, and is today one of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
- “Awareness of the world population about the blockade of Gaza, the uninhabitable conditions it imposes and the fact that this colossal human suffering is not a natural catastrophe, but a consequence of political and military decisions.”
- “Condemn and make visible. In particular, the US government has supported Israel’s violence against the Palestinians for decades, financing the Israeli army with approximately 4,000 million dollars annually and using most of its vetoes in the UN Security Council during the last three decades to protect Israel from the condemnation for its humanitarian crimes and violations of international law.”
“To respond to the call of solidarity of the Palestinians and the Palestinian organizations in Gaza to break the blockade, we want to show the population of Gaza that people and organizations around the world defend and support their struggle for dignity and freedom,” they defend.
The Freedom Flotilla was created in 2010 and “guides its work according to the objectives and explicit plans of the population of Gaza”. “Our direct action missions support the dignity and humanity of the Palestinians, working with civil society partners, instead of with any party, faction or government. Our actions against blocking are always governed by the principles of non -violence and non -violent resistance,” they explain.
FFC member organizations include: Canadian ship to Gaza; Fleeta de la Libertad Italia; My Care Malaysia; Kia prays Gaza [Nueva Zelanda / Aotearoa]; Boat to Gaza Norway; Solidarity alliance with Palestine [Sudáfrica]; Rumbo to Gaza [España]; Boat to Gaza Sweden; IHH / Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association [Turquía]; EE. UU. and the International Committee to break the siege of Gaza. Our associated organizations include the solidarity campaign with Palestine [Gran Bretaña]; Free Gaza Australia and the NGO platform for Palestine [Francia].
The IHH Humanitarian Aid Foundation, of Turkish origin, has regularly reported that the missions are paid with the money of the campaigns carried out in each country, of which they have transparency reports.
Among its counterparts in Gaza are, which “represents Palestinian fishermen and farmers and promotes their perseverance and sovereignty, within a framework of community, sustainable and liberating development”, or, “young aspiring and inspiring Palestinian journalists who tell the human stories behind the figures that appear in the news about the blockade.” Both are repeatedly used entities as a reliable source by the international press that covers the conflict.
The missions
The first mission of the flotilla was in 2008, when 35 ships prepared to break the fence, then, of the Palestinian coastal strip. It has been repeated every year, separate pandemia. They have just been 15 years old from the best known of their expeditions, not because it was successful -since Israel has always prevented the arrival of its boats, either with pressure that forced its return, well with interceptions of the ships -but because it was dramatic.
It happened on May 31, 2010, in International Waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Israel Navy approached a fleet of six vessels from the organization, killing nine activists and hurting a journalist who was also on board. In addition, 30 other activists were injured. One of them, after spending four years in a coma, ended up dying, raising the killed. On that occasion, 633 people from 37 countries in the Mavi Marmara, a ship that remained in the memory of the proper cause traveled.
Already this year, last May, the organization wanted to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza, but it was also stopped in the middle of the Mediterranean. The Benjamin Netanyahu government has not referred to this event.
Now the idea was to repeat the expedition, with a single ship and 12 people on board. It had been seven days for seven days to have sailed from Sicily (Italy) to Gaza to “deliver humanitarian aid, break the Israeli block and make visible continuous suffering in the Palestinian enclave.”
The mission with more Spanish presence was that of last year, which had the former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau; the councilor of Podemos in Malaga, Nico Sguiglia; the deputy of IU in the Parliament of Extremadura, Nerea Fernández; the Autonomous Coordinator of Podemos in Andalusia, Marina Velarde; and the Eurodiputa of Catalonia in Comú Jaume Asens.
