(C) Common Dreams
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35 Boats Challenge Israeli Naval Blockade of Gaza in Ten Years-2008 through 2018 [1]
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Date: 2017-06-03
In ten years from 2008 through 2018, international activists have sailed 35 boats to challenge the Illegal and inhuman Israeli naval blockade of the 1.9 million Palestinians who are trapped in Gaza.
FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
AUGUST-DECEMBER 2008
In August 23-29, 2008, two boats, the Liberty and Free Gaza with a total of 44 passengers, reached Gaza. These boats were sponsored by the Free Gaza Movement and the story of the boats told in the book Freedom Sailors and on their website.
In 2006 during the Israeli attack on Lebanon, five former volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement; Greta Berlin, Renee Bowyer, Paul Larudee, Sharon Lock and Mary Hughes Thompson, began working on a mission to send boats into Gaza. They became the co-founders of the Free Gaza movement. It took two years, thousands of volunteers, close to $700,000 raised from around the world, 44 passengers and two ramshackle fishing boats to accomplish that first trip.
In the next eight years, 2008 through 2016, international activists sailed 31 boats to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. Five of them were successful in breaking Israel’s draconian siege on 1.8 million Palestinians in this besieged enclave.
Historic First Voyage
Liberty and Free Gaza boats
On August 23, 2008, 44 ordinary people from 17 different countries sailed from Cyprus to Gaza on two small wooden boats, the FREE GAZA and the LIBERTY. They did what our governments would not do – they broke the Siege of Gaza. The boats encountered rough seas and many of the passengers suffered from severe seasickness. At sea, they were tracked by Israeli naval vessels for over half of the journey, and the boats’ navigation systems were jammed and interfered with. When the two boats arrived safely in Gaza on 23rd August after over 30 hours at sea, they were welcomed by tens of thousands of Palestinians lining the shore.
The passengers stayed in Gaza for 6 days, visited hospitals and schools, and delivered donated hearing aids and medicines. During the stay the Free Gaza boat and several passengers accompanied Palestinian fishermen at sea. This accompaniment helped the fisherman fish in their own territorial waters without being assaulted by the Israeli navy for the first time in several years.
The boats left on 29th August, returning to Cyprus with 7 Palestinians. These included 5 family members who were reunited with the rest of this family in Cyprus, whom they had not seen for several years. Also on board was 15-year-old Saed and his father who were leaving to obtain medical treatment for Saed, who lost his leg and was severely injured in an Israeli attack. They became the first Palestinians in modern history to freely leave their own country. For the first time in over 40 years, international ships docked at Gaza Port. For the first time in over 60 years, Palestinians freely entered and exited their own country.
Ten passengers remained behind in Gaza, six of them on a long term basis, undertaking human rights work and forming the first international presence of the International Solidarity Movement since 2003.
In the words of Palestinian voyager, Musheir El-Farra, a human rights activist originally born and raised in Khan Younis in Gaza but currently living in Sheffield, UK: “For the first time in my life, I went to Gaza without being humiliated, without having to ask Israel for permission. We did it. We finally did it. And now others must join us and do it as well.”
http://archive.freegaza.org/en/first-voyage.html
Great Video of first voyage from DAVID SCHERMERHORN. Video of the first boats to Gaza in 2008 and Gaza fishers. The end of the video has footage from the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, including the beginnings of the Israeli attack on the Challenger 1 as she sped away from the Mavi Marmara. The video ends as the commandos shot a percussion grenade into the cabin of the Challenger 1
People of Gaza stand on the docks of Gaza City to greet the first boats to arrive in Gaza in 40 years.
Another video by Kathy and Courtney Sheetz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT8G2AjYG-s
Our 6 days were filled with opportunities to visit hospitals, Rachel Corrie’s memorial site, speak at Universities, visit a brand-new museum… and eat. Oh, how we ate. And we watched theatre productions, talked to children and danced, and danced. We were filled with relief that we’d it. Palestinians were filled with joy when we arrived. This 13-minute video is raw footage of some of the events during the days we were there. There is no narration, just a wash of images set to music. We never thought the scenes would become a archive of what Gaza looked like before Israel destroyed everything. And, we have no idea what’s happened to the children, who are now in their 20s and 30s. Their faces are forever frozen in time. In the museum segment in the film, we were invited to view a private collection belonging to Jawdat Khoudary. After we left, he opened the “National Museum of Archaeology” for the people of Gaza. And a bit of good news in all the horror and destruction, he had loaned his most precious pieces to Switzerland just before the blockade, so they are in storage there. We carried 8 Palestinians back to Cyprus that day. And we arrived four more times. But this day, August 28, 2008, will never be forgotten by those of us on the boats and those Palestinians who welcomed us. Videographers: Kathleen Elliott Sheetz, Courtney Sheetz
And still photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/freegaza/2842576877/in/photostream/
Videos Released on the Free Gaza Movement’s 15th Anniversary
https://www.freegaza.org/We-Shall-Overcome/
On the occasion of the Free Gaza movement’s 15th anniversary, we’re posting the eleven videos of our journey. We sailed into Gaza that bright afternoon, August 23, 2008, to the cheers of 40,000 Palestinians waiting for us. These videos show our struggles, our optimism, the strength of Palestinians waiting for us, why we sailed, and how we finally arrived.
We hope you enjoy watching them as much as we enjoyed arriving on that day.
On August 22, 2008, 44 human rights activists boarded two small fishing boats and sailed toward Gaza. In spite of constant Israeli harassment, we entered the Port of Gaza to the cheers of 40,000 well-wishers.
For one brief shining moment, Gaza was free.
Episode 1: We begin with this beautiful send-off from Jane Chesterman Jewell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgv8BJhmNWc&t=13s
Episode 2: We’ve been asked many times why 44 of us were crazy enough to think we could actually sail to Gaza and why we would choose such a risky direct action against the military might of Israel.
We were asked to think about the personal reason we were going. Please share widely as a tribute to the Palestinians of Gaza and those of us who sailed 15 years ago. We hope you enjoy the passionate answers.
https://youtu.be/UnaOfWseozk
Episode 3: Why did we succeed?
We succeeded because we had a tight-knit core that we already trusted, as all organizers had worked with the ISM. In fact, the majority of the 44 passengers were graduates of the ISM. Literally, many of us had faced Israeli settlers and the military when we worked in the occupied West Bank, and nothing…nothing…was going to stop us. We’d already been shot, tear-gassed, arrested and some of us deported. The more they pushed, the more we pushed back.
We succeeded because we never lost sight that our objective was to sail to Gaza. These are just some of the internationals who believed in the dream of sailing to Gaza. George Katsiaficas, Ph.D., Norman Saul, Ph.D. Huwaida Arraf, Co-Founder, ISM, Greta Berlin, Co-founder, Free Gaza movement, Soctt Kennedy. Kathy Sheetz
https://youtu.be/wx49ly4M-Ks
Episode 4: Our first three episodes talked about why we wanted to sail to Gaza. Every passenger had a personal reason. And those reasons solidified our commitment to each other as well as to the Palestinians waiting for us in Gaza.
But what were we actually going in? This episode shows you what those wooden boots looked like, how they were readied for a trip across the Mediterranean and how small they really were.
https://youtu.be/suBW3uf-qmc
Episode 5: The song you hear on this clip was written for us as we got ready to leave. And these are photos of just some of the 44 passengers on board those boats as well as the Palestinians who greeted us when we arrived.
We hope you enjoy this one as it was so joyous.
https://youtu.be/CxSr-4vby98
Episode 6: Listen to the people of Gaza
The first 5 stories were full of joy, anticipation, and frustration as we waited to sail to Gaza. This one reminds us of why we must continue to put pressure on Israel.
During that first trip to Gaza, Kathy Sheetz interviewed Palestinian/American NASA Astro-physicist, Professor Suleiman Baraka. He was waiting to return to the US, and Israel had refused to allow him out of Gaza’s concentration camp. He was finally able to leave because, after our first trip, Israel opened Gaza’s prison gates for a few weeks (to save face). His wife and children were not.
Four months later, during Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli Occupation Forces dropped a bomb on his home, killing his 11-year-old son.
Listen to his plea for humanity… as well as the plea of this little girl at the end of the tape to stop the insanity of Israel’s occupation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xHk9_X1Sas
Episide 7: Taking to Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor
“In total by August 2023, at least 208 Palestinians – 36 of them children – have been killed by Israeli fire since the first of the year, a rate of almost one fatality per day.” Why can’t we stop Israeli war crimes? Why can’t we hold their leaders accountable? Why is Israel above international law? What makes Israel that special? Why is the world afraid of Israel? We sailed against all odds of getting to Gaza. Listen to these students in 2008. How many of them are still alive?
Hedy Epstein, “it takes lots of us, hundreds of thousands of us to make changes. But that doesn’t mean that I or anybody else should stop what we’re doing. Because you never know when we will make a difference “
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https://youtu.be/t0Bwb-6T0D0
Episode 8: Leaving for Gaza, August 22, 2008. We were ecstatic to leave Cyprus on that foggy, cool day. 44 of us lined up, got our passports stamped, and boarded the two small boats. We faced 32 hours of uncertainty. After all, Israeli supporters, its military, and the government had been threatening us for over a month.
Our joy far outweighed our fear. Once again, we had no idea that over the next day and a half, we’d face a roiling sea, Israel would cut off most of our communications, and thousands of well-wishers thought we had drowned because we couldn’t contact them.
We left anyhow, escorted out to sea by the Cypriot Coast Guard.
https://youtu.be/RNqlu7CFXIo
Episode 9: All through that terrible night, our two boats rocked, battered by enormous waves, Israel had cut off all communication devices except for Channel 16, which kept saying “They are Lost, they are lost, they are lost.” Passengers were sick. Israeli warships monitored us. When dawn came on August 23, we saw nothing but water, our captains working on compass and walky-talky to guide us toward Gaza.
12 hours later, the shores of Gaza appeared and we kept sailing. Our communications turned back on, and Israel was leaving us alone. We had kept our promise.
We had arrived.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBAkRok-EtI
Episode 10: EPILOGUE – Thanks to Roger Waters for the song
We made three promises to the people of Gaza when we left a week later. 1. We would speak about what we saw the week we stayed. 2. We would take as many Palestinians as we could out of Gaza, 3. We would return.
Over the next four months, we honored all three of those promises, speaking of our adventures to people around the world, taking more than 20 Palestinians out on our boats (most of them students who had scholarships), and 3. returning four more times before being viciously attacked. No boat has sailed back into Gaza since December 2008, but it hasn’t stopped initiatives, from the Women’s Boat to Gaza to the Jewish Boat to Gaza to all of the Freedom Flotilla voyages. All have been stopped, passengers arrested, boats confiscated, and supplies stolen by the Apartheid State of Israel.
The boats WILL continue to sail. WE SHALL OVERCOME.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XdGtjIOo80
Episode 11: What’s Next?
After having shattered the Israeli blockade of Gaza earlier this week, the Free Gaza and Liberty departed for Cyprus on Auguest 28. We took several Palestinians who had been denied exit visas by Israel, Among them were Saed Mosleh, age 14, of Beit Hanoon, Gaza. An Israeli tank shell blew his leg off and he’s with his father to seek medical treatment. (The last we knew, Saed is doing very well in Cyprus) “I can’t believe we’re finally able to leave for medical treatment,” said Khaled Mosleh, Saed’s father. “This is a miracle of God.” Also on board was the Darwish family, who were finally reunited with their relatives in Cyprus. Here is the final video of this 15th anniversary, set to the stirring music of the Palestinian National Anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oA82KVPeQ4
List of passengers, supporters and Palestinians brought out on the First Voyage.
Passengers First name Last name Country Notes Anne Montgomery United States Catholic nun Adam Qvist Denmark Aki Nawaz Pakistan Anastasios Kourakis Greece Anastasios Kourakis, MD, MP Greece Member of Greek Parliament Andrew Muncie Scotland Ayash Derraji Algeria Al Jazeera Bill Dienst, MD United States Christos Giouranopoulos Greece Cinamatographer Courtney Sheetz United States Nurse Darlene Wallach United States David Schermerhorn United States Videographer Derek Graham Ireland First mate Donna Wallach United States Edtih Lutz, PHd Germany Fathi Jaouadi Tunisia Georgios K Greece Georgios Klontzas Greece Captain, Liberty Greta Berlin France/US Co-Founder Hayyan Jubeh Palestine Rammatan Huwaida Arraf, LLD Palestine Jeff Halper, PhD Israel Jenny Linnell UK John Klusmire United States Captain, Free Gaza Kathleen O’Connor Wang United States Kathy Sheetz United States Ken O’Keefe Ireland Lauren Booth UK Maria del Mar Fernandez, LLD Spain Mary Hughes Thompson Canada/UK Co-Founder Musheir El Farra Gaza, Palestine Nicolos Bolos Greece Panagiotis Politas, PhD Greece Paul Larudee, PhD United States Co-Founder Peter Phillips United States Petros Giotis Greece Ren Tawil United States Renee Bowyer Australia Co-Founder Sharyn Lock Australia Co-Founder Theresa McDermott Scotland Thomas Nelson, LLD United States Vagillis Pissias, PhD Greece Vittorio Arrigoni Italy Yannis Karripidis Greece Cinamatographer Yvonne Ridley UK Press TV Land Crew Angela Godfrey-Goldstein Israel Bianca Shanaa Palestine David Halpin, MD UK Hedy Epstein Germany/United States Lynn Levey United States Osama Qashoo Palestine Ramzi Kysia United States/Lebanon Scott Kennedy United States Susan Halpin UK Uri Davis, PhD Israel/Palestine Gaza Supporters Jamal El-Khoudary Gaza, Palestine Independent MP Mona Al-Farra, MD Gaza, Palestine Palestinians Brought Out Darwish Family of five Gaza, Palestine Reunited with family in Cyprus Khaled Moslah Gaza, Palestine Father Saed Moslah Gaza, Palestine Leg blown off
2nd Voyage to Gaza: The DIGNITY’s Maiden Voyage
On October 28-November 1, 2008, on the second trip to Gaza, another boat, the “Dignity,” with 27 passengers broke the blockade and sailed into Gaza. www.freegaza.org. On October 28th, 2008, the Free Gaza Movement made its second voyage to Gaza, this time aboard the DIGNITY, a new ship, better able to make the journey in the rough winter weather. Although Israeli warships trailed our small ship when they approached Gaza, the IOF did not attempt to use force against the boat, and the Dignity was able to once again break through their blockade.
Aboard the Dignity were 27 doctors, lawyers, journalists, and human rights workers, representing 12 different countries. The passengers included Palestinian legislator Mustapha Barghouti, Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire, and Italian opera singer Joe Fallisi – who delivered Gaza’s first ever opera concert. The passengers also included Caoimhe Butterly, a renowned human rights worker who stayed on as the first Free Gaza co-ordinator, working alongside the Palestinian NGO Network and the Popular Committee Against the Siege, our partner organizations inside Gaza.
After watching the Dignity’s arrival Fida Qishta, the local coordinator for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the Gaza Strip, said “If Gaza is free then it’s our right to invite whomsoever we wish to visit us. It’s our land and it’s our sea. Now more groups must come, not only by sea but also the crossings at Erez and Rafah must be opened as well. This second breaking of the siege means a lot, actually. It’s the second time in two months that people have come to Gaza without Israel’s permission, and that tells us that Gaza will be free.”
http://archive.freegaza.org/en/second-voyage.html
Passengers and land crew for the second voyage. Check the Free Gaza website for biograpies:
http://archive.freegaza.org/en/all-passengers/58-second-trip-to-gaza/221-audrey-bomse-usa.html
Passengers 2nd Voyage Audrey Bomse, LLD US Alan Lonergan Ireland Ali Al-Jabar, Al Jazeera Qatar Amir Siddiq, Al Jazeera Sudan Caoimhe Butterly Ireland David Schermerhorn US Denis Healey, Captain UK Derek Graham Ireland George Klontzas, Captain Greece Ghazi Abourashed Holland/Gaza Gideon Spiro, Journalist Israel Huwaida Arraf USA/Palestine Ibrahim Hamami, MD UK Jock McDougall, MD UK Joe Fallisi Italy Lubna Masarwa Palestinian4/Israel Mairead Maguire Ireland Marco Giusti Italy Mohammed Alshubashi, MD Germany Mustafa Barghouti Palestine Nikoals Bolos Ireland Ramzi Kysia USA Renee Bowyer Australia Rod Cox UK Theresa McDermott UK Vilma Mazza Italy Land Crew Greta Berlin France/US Ramzi Kysia Lebenon/US Osama Qashoo Palestine Fida Qishta Palestine, in Gaza
Video of first trip of Dignity to Gaza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqPnrkHZXA
3rd Voyage to Gaza-Dignity’s Second Trip
A week later, November 8-11, 2008, the third trip with the “Dignity” with 24 passengers, including Parliamentarians, sailed again to Gaza.
In November 2008, the DIGNITY made its second successful voyage to Gaza, carrying 24 Passengers. On this voyage, the Free Gaza Movement joined with the European Campaign to end the Siege to bring over a ton of medical supplies to Gaza, accompanied by 11 past and current European parliamentarians from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and Switzerland, including the Baroness Jenny Tonge, Lord Nazir Ahmad and Clare Short, the former British Secretary for International Development. They were part of a much larger group of 53 European parliamentarians who had been denied entry to the Gaza Strip earlier in November. Journalists from Al Jazeera, Haaretz and the Independent (UK newspaper) were also on board for a three day fact finding tour of the Gaza Strip. The passengers also included Eva Bartlett, a Canadian activist who remained in Gaza to increase the number of international human rights workers there.
In addition to delivering medicines, the parliamentarians toured hospitals, schools, agricultural centers, and Gaza’s power plant, as well as meeting with their counterparts in the Palestinian Legislature.
The Dignity left Gaza on 10th November carrying an additional eight Palestinians for the return journey, including the secretary for the Independent Union for the Labour Leagues in Gaza. He came aboard the DIGNITY to speak to syndicates and university students in Spain, and encourage them to participate in breaking the siege on Gaza. Also on board were an elderly Palestinian couple. After suffering from a stroke in 2007, the husband was not allowed out for treatment through either Rafah or Erez. The couple had not seen their children since the siege began in 2006.
http://archive.freegaza.org/en/third-voyage.html
The passenger list (see below) and biographies are posted at
http://www.freegaza.org.
Lord Nazir Ahmed, (Pakistan/UK),
Christopher Andrews, (Ireland),
Huwaida Arraf, (US),
Eva Bartlett, (Canada),
Nikolas Bolos, (Ireland),
Sami Moheildin Mohamed Elhag (Sudan),
Derek Graham (Ireland),
Amira Hass (Israel)
Denis Healey, (UK),
Pauline McNeill (Scotland),
Fernando Morena (Spain),
Mohamed Nacer, (UK),
Hugh O’Donnell, (Scotland, UK),
Aengus ÓSnodaigh, (Ireland),
Fernando Rossi, (Italy),
David Schermerhorn, (USA),
Rob Sharp, (UK) (The Independent),
Clare Short, (UK),
Dr. Arafat Shoukri, (Palestine, UK),
Rhodri Glyn Thomas, (Wales, UK),
(Baroness) Dr. Jenny Tonge, (UK),
Sandra White, (Scotland, UK),
Josef Zisyadis, (Switzerland)
4th Voyage to Gaza-Dignity’s Third Trip
One month later, December 8-11, 2008, on the fourth trip to Gaza, the “Dignity” with 16 passengers, including students, sailed again into Gaza
5th Voyage to Gaza-Dignity’s Fourth Trip
One week later, December 18-19, 2008, on the fifth trip, the “Dignity” with 14 passengers called the “Qatari” delegation, returned to gaza.
On December 27, 2008, the Israeli military began its 22 day attack on Gaza that killed 1440 persons, wounded 5,000 and left 50,000 homeless. No boats were allowed into Gaza after the Israeli attack on Gaza began.
6th Voyage-Dignity Did NOT Get to Gaza
On December 28-29, 2008, the sixth trip with the Dignity with 16 passengers, was rammed and almost sunk by the Israeli navy and slowly limped into a harbor in Lebanon.
Dignity after being rammed by an IOF ship
Video of damaged ship Dignity coming into Lebanon harbor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRghMmgQ1kA
http://archive.freegaza.org/en/all-passengers/62-sixth-trip-to-gaza1054.html?layout=default
7th Trip , But Spirit of Humanity did NOT get to Gaza
JANUARY-JULY 2009
SPIRIT OF HUMANITY
On January 12-15, 2009, on the seventh trip the ferry boat Arion now called the The Spirit of Humanity with 36 passengers, was forced by the Israeli navy to turn back and return to Cyprus.
In February 2009, the cargo ship Tali from Lebanon, not part of the Free Gaza Movement, was attacked by the IOF and taken to Israel.
8th Trip-Spirit of Humanity
Stolen by Israeli Military & Passengers & Crew Put in Jail
On June 29-July 7, 2009, the Spirit of Humanity, on the eighth trip with 21 passengers was forcefully stopped by Israeli commandos, its passengers taken to Israeli prison and deported,–a first in the eight trips the Free Gaza Movement made, and the boat taken to the Haifa, Israel harbor.
Photos from the video link below.
Here is a link link to a unique 7 minute video of the Israeli military stopping the Spirit of Humanity in July 2009 in international waters-most footage of Israeli military zodiac boats approaching the boats to Gaza is never sees the light of day–so this is very rare! The video has passengers on the boat, Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire and former US Congressperson Cynthia McKinny speaking about their solidarity with Palestine. All passengers and crew spent 7 days in Givon prison in Israel. This is the first group that was stopped and put in prison and then deported.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Hkz3t1pJ8
https://davidbaptistechirot.blogspot.com/2009/06/wflickr-free-gaza-boat-spirit-of.html
http://www.aljazeerah.info/News/2009/July/1%20n/Israeli%20Pirates%20Capture%20Spirit%20of%20Humanity%20Aid%20Boat%20Destined%20to%20Besieged%20Gaza,%20with%20World%20Silence.htm
Spirit of Humanity
GAZA FREEDOM FLOTILLA
MAY 2010
A year later in May 2010, an international flotilla of 7 boats challenged the Israeli blockade. Israeli Offensive Forces violently attacked all 7 boats, killing 9 on the Mavi Marmara with another passenger dying later and wounding over 50. Passengers on all boats were assaulted, kidnapped and taken against their will to Israel where they were interrogated, imprisoned and deported.
MAVI MARMARA
Photo by Kate Geraghty
Photo of Israeli helicopters and gunboats around the Mavi Marmara. Photo by Marcello Fraggi
Mavi Marmara under Israeli attack that killed 9 immediately and wounded 50. Another person died later.
Photos on the side of the Mavi Marmara of 9 killed by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara-a tenth person died later.
Names of the ten humanitarians on board the Mavi Marmara killed by Israeli commandos on 31 May 2010, nine were killed immediately and one subsequently died:
Ibrahim Bilgen
Ali Haydar Bengi
Cevdet Kiliçlar
Çetin Topçuoglu
Necdet Yildirim
Fahri Yaldiz
Cengiz Songür
Cengiz Akyüz
Furkan Dogan
Ugur Suleyman Soylemez
Their boats were stolen by the Israeli government. Later in 2010, the Mavi Marmara was returned to Turkey with blood still on the decks from the murder of nine and wounding of 50.
After two years of continuous demands to the Israeli government and pressure on the Greek government for assistance, in mid-June, 2012, Greek activists succeeded in getting released from Israel two ships that had sailed in the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The passenger ship Sfendoni and the cargo ship Eleftheri Mesogeios, or Sofia had to be towed out of the Haifa, Israel harbor due to damage caused by Israeli commandos and intelligence agents when they attacked the ships on May 31, 2010. The Sofia was towed to Turkey and the Sfendoni was towed to the Greek port of Piraeus arriving on June 20, 2012. A video of the return of the Eleftheri Mesogeois can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqWY7RA-DbU
The Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) sponsored the Mavi Marmara with 581 passengers, and two cargo ships, the Gazze with five passengers and the Defne Y with 27 passengers. The European Campaign to End the Siege sponsored the passenger boat Sfendoni with 45 passengers. The Greek and Swedish Boat to Gaza campaign sponsored the Eleftheri Mesogeios or Sofia cargo ship with 10 passengers. The Free Gaza Movement sponsored Challenger 1 and Challenger 2 boats. The Challenger 1 had 17 passengers. The Challenger 2 developed mechanical troubles attributed to sabotage by Israeli commandos and did not depart from Cyprus. Challenger 2 passengers were placed on the Challenger 1 and the Mavi Marmara.
The Free Gaza Movement and the Malaysian Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) sponsored the cargo ship Rachel Corrie with 21 passengers. The Rachel Corrie had sailed from Ireland and did not arrive in the Mediterranean in time to go with the other ships of the flotilla. She was boarded by Israeli commandos and taken to Haifa Harbor on June 5, 2010, five days after the main flotilla was attacked.
There were 688 passengers from 41 nations on all the seven ships of the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Notable flotilla passengers included Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel Peace prize winner, Denis Halliday, former UN Assistant Secretary-General, Edward Peck, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Fehmi Bülent Yıldırım, the İHH president, Haneen Zoubi, an Israeli-Arab member of Knesset.
A partial list of the names of the passengers on all the boats is available at this link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_participants_of_the_Gaza_flotilla
Great video by David Schermerhorn of Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The video has the first boats to Gaza in 2008 , Gaza fishers and at the end the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, including the beginnings of the Israeli attack on the Challenger 1 as she sped away from the Mavi Marmara. The video ends as the commandos shot a percussion grenade into the cabin of the Challenger 1.
SFENDONI PASSENGER SHIP
The European Campaign to End the Siege sponsored the passenger boat Sfendoni with 45 passengers.
After two years of continuous demands to the Israeli government and pressure on the Greek government for assistance, in mid-June, 2012, Greek activists succeeded in getting released from Israel two ships that had sailed in the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The passenger ship Sfendoni and the cargo ship Eleftheri Mesogeios, or Sofia had to be towed out of the Haifa, Israel harbor due to damage caused by Israeli commandos and intelligence agents when they attacked the ships on May 31, 2010. The Sofia was towed to Turkey and the Sfendoni was towed to the Greek port of Piraeus arriving on June 20, 2012.
SfendonI passengers as of May 29, 2010: Abbas Nasser (Lebanon) Ahmed Ouninoun (France) Alexandr Vojta (Cze) Almahdi Alharati (Ireland) Amil Sarsour (Sweden) Amin Aberrashid (NL) Angela Lano (Italy) Aprodite Thravalou (Greece) Aris Chatzistefanou (Greece) –> went over to the Mavi Marmara on May 30, 2010 Benderbal Youcef (France) Berbagua Salah (France) Bibel Abdul Azziz (GB) Bouzidi Mouloud (France) Campani Chalenf (Greece) Christos Tsigaridas (Greece) Dimitra Kyrillou (Greece) Edward Peck (U.S.A.) Elnafaa Elaati (Morocco) Gene St. Onge (U.S.A.) Henry Ascher (Sweden) Issam Ben Ali (Ireland) Issam Zaatar (Belgium) Jan Linek (Cze) Janet Kobren (U.S.A.) Joe Fallisi (Italy) Joe Meadors (U.S.A.) Katerina Kitidi (Greece) Khalid Turaani (U.S.A.) Kim S. Aguayo (Sweden) Lieros Georgios (Greece) Manolo Luppichini (Italy) Manuel (Italy) Marcello Faraggi (Belgium) Maria Psara (Greece) –> went over to the Sophia on May 30, 2010 Mario Damolin (Germany) Mounia Cherif (France) Muin Qaraqei (Italy) Nikos Valkanos (Greece) Paul Larudee (U.S.A.) Petr Zavadil (Cze) Renanhs Dhmhl8ios (Greece) Svetoslav Ivanov (Bulgaria) Thanos Petrogiannis (Greece) Ulf Carmesund (Sweden) Valentin Vasile (Bulgaria) Zdenek Lokas (Cze) Zenasni Miloud (France) Captain : Theodorus Boukas (Greece) Crew : Spiros Avgiris (Greece) Journalists: Issam Zaatar Marcello Faraggi Svetoslav Ivanov Valentin Vasile Alexandr Vojta Jan Linek Petr Zavadil Zdenek Lokas Mario Damolin Aris Chatzistefanou (went over to the Mavi Marmara) Katerina Kitidi Maria Psara (went over to the Free Mediterranean) Angela Lano Manolo Luppichini Manuel Abbas Nasser
The other five boats, Challenger 1, and cargo ships Free Mediterranean, Dafne Y, Gazze, and Rachel Corrie were stolen by Israel and remain in the Israeli harbor of Haifa.
Challenger 1 and Challenger 2
Challenger 1 and Challenger 2 Challenger 1 and 2 were sponsored by the Free Gaza Movement and both developed steering mechanism problems on the way to the meeting point with the other boats from probable sabotage while in Crete. Both went to Cyprus for repairs. Passengers on the Challenger 1 and 2 were transferred to the Mavi Marmara for 2 days until Challenger 1 returned with members of Parliament from European countries. The members of Parliament boarded the Mavi Marmara while most of the original Challenger 2 passengers went onto Challenger 1. Challenger 2 did not sail from Cyprus, only Challenger 1. Challenger 2 was later sold to the Irish campaign and became the Saiorse that sailed in November 2011.
Challenger 1 at sea
Biographies of Passengers on Challenger 1 and Challenger 2 from Crete
Paul McGeogh (Australian Journalist)
Kate Geraghty (Australian photo journalist)
Griet Deknopper (Belgium)
Inge Neefs (German member of Parliament transferred to Mavi Marmara)
Kevin Niesh (Canadian transferred to Mavi Marmara)
Nader El Sakka
Annette Groth (German member of Parliament transferred to Mavi Marmara)
Inge Hoge (German member of Parliament transferred to Mavi Marmara)
Matthia Jochheim (German member of Parliament transferred to Mavi Marmara)
Norman Peach (German member of Parliament transferred to Mavi Marmara)
Fintan Lane (Ireland)
Lubna Marsawa (Palestine, Israel)
Mustapha Mansor
Anna De Jong (Netherlands)
Randi Kios
Espen Goffeng (Norway)
Nidal Hejazi
Hassan Norwarah
Iara Lee, (U.S. documentarian with Cultures of Resistance)
Srojan Stojkikoric (Videographer with Cultures of Resistance-transferred to Mavi Marmara
Ewa Jasiewicz (U.K. and Poland)
Alex Harrison
Gehad Sukker
Huwaida Arraf (U.S., Palestine, Israel)
Kathy Sheetz (U.S.)
Scott Hamman (U.S.)
Ann Wright (U.S.)
Dennis Healy (U.K. and Cyprus)
Fiachra O’Luain (U.S. and Ireland)
Teresa McDermott (Scotland)
David Schmererhorn (U.S.)
Chris Andres
Aengu O’Snodaigh (Ireland)
Kyricos Triantaphyllides (Greece)
Nicolas Shahshashani (French)
Shane Dillon (Ireland) First-mate
Inge Neefs (Belgium).
Passengers on Challenger 1 that sailed to Gaza
Paul McGeogh (Australian Journalist)
Kate Geraghty (Australian photo journalist)
Griet Deknopper (Belgium)
Fintan Lane (Ireland)
Anna De Jong (Netherlands)
Alex Harrison (U.K.)
Huwaida Arraf (U.S., Palestine, Israel)
Kathy Sheetz (U.S.)
Scott Hamman (U.S.)
Ann Wright (U.S.)
Dennis Healy (U.K. and Cyprus) Captain
Shane Dillon (Ireland) First-mate
Inge Neefs (Belgium).
Fiachra O’Luain (U.S. and Ireland)
Teresa McDermott (Scotland)
Cargo Ship Rachel Corrie
The Free Gaza Movement and the Malaysian Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) sponsored the cargo ship Rachel Corrie with 21 passengers. The Rachel Corrie had sailed from Ireland and did not arrive in the Mediterranean in time to go with the other ships of the flotilla. She was boarded by Israeli commandos and taken to Haifa Harbor on June 5, 2010, five days after the main flotilla was attacked.
xxxx need passengers/crew listsxxx
Gazze Cargo Ship
Gazze Cargo Ship
Gazze Cargo Ship. The Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) sponsored the Mavi Marmara with 581 passengers, and two cargo ships, the Gazze with five passengers and the Defne Y with 27 passengers.
xxxx Need passenger / crew list for Gazze xxxx
Eleftheri Mesogeios or Sofia Cargo Ship (Greek and Swedish boat)
Eleftheri Mesogeios or Sofia Cargo Ship (Greek and Swedish boat)
After two years of continuous demands to the Israeli government and pressure on the Greek government for assistance, in mid-June, 2012, Greek activists succeeded in getting released from Israel two ships that had sailed in the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. The passenger ship Sfendoni and the cargo ship Eleftheri Mesogeios, or Sofia had to be towed out of the Haifa, Israel harbor due to damage caused by Israeli commandos and intelligence agents when they attacked the ships on May 31, 2010. The Sofia was towed to Turkey and the Sfendoni was towed to the Greek port of Piraeus arriving on June 20, 2012.
Passengers on the Eleftheri Mesogeios
Saman Ali, aktivist
Dror Feiler, artist
Victoria Strand, MD physician
Mehmet Kaplan,MP Green Party
Henning Mankell, author
Sfendoni
Amil Sarsour,
Kim Soto Ayugo
Ulf Carmesund
Henry Ascher, MD physician
Mavi Marmara
Mattias Gardell, professor
Edda Manga
xxxneed Greek crew and passengersxxx
___
Defne Y Cargo Ship
Defne Y Cargo Ship
The Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) sponsored the Mavi Marmara with 581 passengers, and two cargo ships, the Gazze with five passengers and the Defne Y with 27 passengers.
xxxxxNeed passenger/crew list xxxxxx
SEPTEMBER 2010
Irene, the Jewish Boat to Gaza
In September 2010, a small sailboat named Irene, called the Jewish Boat to Gaza with nine Jewish activists was stopped by the IOF and two former IOF soldiers assaulted and tasered. Passengers were Reuven Moskovitz, an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor; Rami Elhanan, a founder of the Bereaved Families Circle of Israelis and Palestinians, whose daughter was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber; Lillian Rosengarten, an American activist from New York who escaped Nazi Germany as a child, Marion Kozak, the mother of the former leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Ed Miliband, is a prominent member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Yonthan Shapira and Itamar Shapiro, former members of the IOF.
Passengers and crew were taken to Israel, interrogated, imprisoned and deported and the boat stolen by the Israeli government.
Irene, International Jewish Boat to Gaza
Irene boarded by IOF commandos
JUNE 2011 FREEDOM FLOTILLA TWO
In June 2011, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II had 9 ships sponsored by 11 non-governmental organizations. The Israeli government paid the Greek government to stop the boats from leaving Greek ports. The U.S. and Canadian boats attempted to leave Greek waters but were stopped by Greek naval commandos.
Audacity of Hope from the United States
Greek commandos on behalf of the State of Israel stop the US Boat to Gaza, Audacity of Hope, 5 miles off the coast of Athens, Greece
Passengers
Nic Abramson
Johnny Barber
Medea Benjamin
Greta Berlin
Hagit Borer
Regina Carey
Gale Courey Toensing
Erin DeRamus
Linda Durham
Debra Ellis
Hedy Epstein
Steven Fake
Lisa Fithian
Ridgely Fuller
Megan Horan
Kathy Kelly
Kit Kittredge
Libor Koznar
Kaleo Larson
Richard Levy
Richard Lopez
Ken Mayers
Ray McGovern
Gail Miller
Carol Murry
Robert Naiman
Henry Noor
Ann Potter
Kathy Sheetz
Max Suchan
Brad Taylor
Len Tsou
Alice Walker
Paki Weiland
Ann Wright
Journalists
Aaron Mate, Democracy Now
Hany Massoud, Democracy Now
Joseph Dana, The Nation
xxx, New York Times
xxxx, CNN
Captain and Crew
John Klusmire, Captain
Yonathan Shapira, crew
David Smith, crew
David Schermerhorn, crew
OJ Linnell, crew
Organizers and ground support
Jane Hirschmann
Laurie Arbeiter
Ann Wright
Dorothy Zellner
Sarah Wellington
Leslie Cagan
Helaine Meisler
Donna Nevel
Jen Hobbs
Brad Taylor
Alan Levine
Barbara Briggs-Letson
https://www.facebook.com/USBOATTOGAZA/
Photos, Videos, Blogs & articles of Gaza Flotilla
US Boat to Gaza passengers’ bios
5 minute video by Johnny Barber of Greek commandos stopping the Audacity of Hope US Boat to Gaza
https://972mag.com/flotilla162011/
Slow Boat to Gaza by Ray McGovern–photo essay
http://coldtype.net/Assets.11/pdfs/0811.Ray.GazaBoat.pdf
Len Tsou’s photos
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lythrn/albums/72157682067245093
Louise Michel from France
Louise Michel from France
(xxx need passenger list and photos xxx)
Gernika from Spain
Gernika passenger protest against Greek government helping Israelis by refusing to let 2011 Gaza Freedom Flotilla boats depart Greek ports
Passengers on the Gernika in Crete, June 2011
WILLY MEYER, MEP GUE/NGL WILLY TOLEDO, actor JOAN CALVERA VEHI – Madrid MARINA ALBIOL, Politician, coordinator Esquerra Unida País Valencià SANTIAGO ALBA RICO, Spanish philosopher and author, lives in Tunisia MERCEDES LEZCANO, Theater director, ex member of the Madrid Assembly PSOE (Socialist Party) RAFA PALACIOS, ex General Director of international cooperation in government of Asturias ALICIA ALONSO – Sodepaz Balamil Valladolid. MARIA DEL RIO DOMENECH – Sodepaz Balamil Valladolid ALEJANDRO ANDARES RUETTER FRIDMAN, Argentinian of Jewish origin ELVIRA SOUTO PRESEDO – Galiza IGNACIO PRIETO – Madrid JUAN MANUEL MORALES – Madrid LAURA ARAU – Catalunya MANUEL TAPIAL – Madrid JOSE ANTONIO ESCRIBANO BARRIOS – Cádiz, Andalucía MANUEL PINEDA – Málaga, Andalucía DIEGO CAÑAMERO – Sevilla, Andalucía EDORTA JIMENEZ – Euskadi MIKEL ZULOAGA – Euskadi MIGUEL ANGEL SAN MIGUEL – Asturias ANTON GOMEZ REINO – Galiza CARMEN SALAVERT – País Valencia, CEDSALA CARMEN PEREZ CARBALLO — member of Madrid Assembly for United Left Party ALBERTO GARCIA WATSON – Málaga, Andalucía JAVIER ANDREU – Alicante, País Valencia MONCHO GONZALEZ BOAN – Galiza, secretario relaciones int’l CIG ALVARO TOEPKE – Alicante, País Valencianas ALVARO H.S. Martín ¿? – Madrid ZOHAR CHAMBERLAIN REGEV – Israeli citizen, lives in Huelva, Andalucía SALVA LACRUZ – País Valencianas FERNANDO CORZO – Galiza MARIA PULIDO BEDOYA – Madrid DOLORS FABREGAS – Barcelona, Catalunya ASUNCION MARTIN ESTRIEGANA – Madrid MANUEL GARCIA – Málaga, Andalucía XXXXX Need captain and crew names XXXXX
xxxxxxxx Need passenger list xxxx
Tahrir Canadian/Australian/Belgian/Danish Boat to Gaza
Tahrir Canadian/Australian/Belgian/Danish Boat to Gaza (after being stopped by Greek Coast Guard in Crete)
Canadian Kayakists slowed down the response of Greek Coast Guard ship that was trying to stop Canadian Boat to Gaza from leaving Crete for Gaza.
Passengers on Tahrir-Crete-2011
Canadian Delegates
Lyn Adamson
Sue Breeze
Stéphan Corriveau
Karen DeVito
Bachar Elsolh
John Greyson
Muhammed Hamou
David Heap
Miles Howe
Soha Kneen
Mary Hughes-Thompson
Robert Lovelace
Irene MacInnes
Manon Massé
David Milne
Kevin Neish
Dylan Penner
Marie-Eve Rancourt
Harmeet Singh Sooden
Jase Tanner
Kate Wilson
Josy Dubié , Belgium
Guido Gorissens , Belgium
Yannick Van Onckelen, Belgium
Asmaa El Mourabiti, Belgium
Vivienne Porzsolt , Australia
Sylvia Hale , Australia
Nick Wallwork, Australia
Michael Coleman , Australia
Charlotte Lund , Denmark
Tahrir Passenger list with bios is here:
http://www.tahrir.ca/en/content/delegates-board-tahrir-june-july-2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/07/04/israel.gaza.flotilla/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2011/07/2011741529521330.html
http://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20110702/283747015783568
Greek – Swedish Boat to Gaza- Juliano
Greek and Swedish boat organizers working on their damaged ship Juliano in the port of Pireaus. Photo by Karla Larson
Need passenger list of xxxxx Juliano xxxxx
Irish Boat to Gaza-Saoirse
Fintan Land explaining the damage done to the Irish Boat to Gaza.
The Irish Boat to Gaza -the Saoirse- was sabotaged in Turkey in the same manner that the Greek boat in Piraeus had been sabotaged.
The June 2011 ‘Saoirse’ passengers were:
Fintan Lane (Dublin – co-ordinator)
Gerry MacLochlainn (Derry)
Charlie McMenamin (Derry)
Zoe Lawlor (Limerick)
Mags O’Brien (Dublin)
Shane Dillon (Dublin – skipper)
Jim Roche (Dublin)
John Hearne (Waterford)
Pat Fitzgerald (Waterford)
Rik Walton (Donegal)
Paul Murphy MEP (Dublin)
Gerard Barron (New Ross)
John Mallon (Belfast)
Chris Andrews (Dublin)
Hugh Lewis (Dublin)
Roman Kurkiewicz (Poland)
Felim Egan (Dublin)
Phil McCullough (Belfast)
Trevor Hogan (Tipperary/Dublin)
Eleftheri Mesogeios cargo ship from Greek and Swedish campaigns
This boat was in the 2010 flotilla and Israeli courts ordered it and the Sfendoni returned to its owners who had both ships towed to Greece.
xxxxNeed passenger/crew lists and photos xxxx
Dignite Al Karama (see below)
JULY 2011
In July 2011, the French yacht Dignité Al Karama was stolen by the IOF 65 kilometers off Gaza and the 16 passengers and crew were kidnapped to Israel, interrogated, imprisoned and deported.
The ship had been allowed to sail from the Greek island of Kastelorizo whose mayor was born in Gaza.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-suspends-mp-for-opposing-gaza-blockade-2315912.html
https://electronicintifada.net/content/dignity-ship-remains-destined-gaza/10175
https://www.theepochtimes.com/israeli-navy-seizes-french-flotilla-ship_1495772.html
Dignite Al Karama from France with IOF commandos surrounding
Aboard the DIGNITY:
Stéphan Corriveau, Coordinator of Canadian boat to Gaza;
Dror Feiler, spokesperson of Ship to Gaza-Sweden, President of the European Jews for a Just Peace, artist, musician, composer;
Jérôme Gleizes, France, Europe Ecologie Les Verts;
Jacqueline Le Corre, France, Médecin-Collectif 14 de soutien au peuple palestinien, member of Parti communiste francais;
Jean Claude Lefort, former MEP, French Communist Party –PCF, president France-Palestine Solidarity Association (AFPS);
Claude Léostic, spokesperson of Un bateau français pour Gaza;
Yamin Makri, France, Collectif 69 de soutien au peuple palestinien;
Omeyya Naoufel Seddik, Tunisian, Fédération des Tunisiens pour une citoyenneté des deux rives (FTCR), and Ligue tunisienne des Droits de l’Homme (LTDH), Phd in Political Science;
Thomas Sommer-Houdeville, spokesperson of Un bateau français pour Gaza, Researcher, Political Science, Middle East Studies, at the Institut francais du proche Orient;
Vangelis Pissias, spokesperson of Ship to Gaza-Greece, Professor at Technical University of Athens;
Amira Hass, Israeli journalist – Haaretz;
Ayyache Derradji, Journalist from Al Jazeera;
Stéphane Guida, Cameraman from Al Jazeera; with
Zacharia Stylianakis, Captain;
Hilaire Folacci, Mariner;
Yannick Voisin, Mariner;
Jo Leguen, Navigator
NOVEMBER 2011
Tahrir and Saoirse
In November 2011, the two boat flotilla named Freedom Waves, the Canadian-Australian-Danish-Belgian boat Tahrir with 12 passengers and crew and the Irish boat Saoirse with 15 passengers and crew sailed from Turkey and were stolen by the IOF 30 miles off the coast of Gaza.
Tahrir – Canadian/Australian/Belgian/Danish Boat to Gaza
http://www.tahrir.ca/en/
Passengers and crew on Tahrir:
6 delegates:
Ehab Loyayef, (Canadian)
David Heap, (Canadian)
Karen DeVito,
Michael Coleman,
Kit Kittredge, (US)
Majd Kayyal:
Captain George Klontzas (Greek)
Five journalists:
Lina Attalah (Egypt),
Casey James (US),
Aimane Zoubir (Morocco),
Jihan Hafiz (US),
Hassan Ghani (UK)
http://www.tahrir.ca/content/delegates-freedom-waves-gaza-november-2011
Saorise- Irish boat to Gaza
Passengers:
Mags O’Brien,
Fintan Lane,
Hugh Lewis,
Trevor Hogan,
Chris Andrews,
John Hearne,
Pat Fitzgerald,
John Mallon,
Phil McCullough,
Billy Smith,
Paul Murphy,
Felim Egan,
Ger Barron
Captain Zach
https://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1104/308294-gaza/
Tahrir and Saoirse attacked by IOF commandos
OCTOBER 2012
Estelle
In October 2012, the Swedish boat Estelle with 30 passengers sailed around Europe and the Mediterranean before heading for Gaza and was stolen by the IOF. In August 2013 the state of Israel filed a petition to confiscate the vessel. In August 2016, the Israeli supreme court ruled that the state cannot confiscate the Estelle, and ordered to state to pay NIS 40,000 (approximately $10,500 USD) to the ship’s owner to cover court costs.
The Supreme Court ruled that the state should have immediately asked the court for the confiscation of the ship and shouldn’t have waited for ten months. The state did not conduct negotiations with the owner of the ship, did not respond to appeals by the owners and did not inform the owners about its intentions.
A movie by Laura Aura about the 3 month voyage of the Estelle from Sweden and Norway to many ports throughout Europe is here:
Also,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2bNcDe_tI0
Member of Parliament Hagen Aksel Norway
Member of Parliament Britton Sven Sweden
Member of Parliament Kodelas Dimitios Greece
Member of Parliament Sixto Ricardo Spain
Member of Parliament Diamantopoulos Evangelos Greece
Former Member of Parliament Manly James Canada
Opperdoes Joel Arvid Alexander Sweden
Andreasson Charles Bertil Sweden
Särner Daniel Karl-Erik Sweden
Uddebrant Johan Lars OS Sweden
Widell Anders Nils Olof Sweden
Reksten Herman Elias Norway
Elhanan Elazar Israel
Sjøstrøm Nils Johan Norway
Koivisto Velimati Finland
Hammervold Jan Petter Norway
Feiler Dror Sweden
Svenberg Kristian Sweden
Boethius Maria-Pia Sweden
Mor Reut Israel
Jämiä Mika Finland
Arau Crusellas Laura Spain
Ramazzotti Stockel Marco Italy
Shapira Yonathan Israel
Tiktopoulos Mikhalis Greece
Zabale Gouzalet BegoÒa Spain
Stamellos Loukas Greece
Piassas Evangelos Greece
Gardell Mattias Sweden
Vinthagen Stellan Sweden 2013-2014 GAZA’S ARK-BUILDING HOPE
Gaza’s Ark was more than a project; it was the building of hope for Palestinian artisans, traders and exporters through peaceful action against the blockade of the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
In 2013 and 2014, with financial and logistical support from friends around the world, Palestinian workers transformed a 25 metre long fishing boat into a cargo boat to sail out of Palestine from the port of Gaza City, carrying Palestinian products and passengers in defiance of the Israeli blockade. Organizations and individuals in Australia, North America and Europe purchased over $24 000 USD worth of Palestinian export goods via the Gaza’s Ark project.
Gaza’s Ark had been reconstructed in Gaza by Palestinian hands and expertise, with international assistance where requested. Gaza’s Ark has helped revitalize the dwindling ship building industry in Gaza and to ensure the transmission of this disappearing expertise (another effect of the blockade) to the younger generations.
Through Gaza’s Ark and trade deals secured between Palestinian producers in Gaza and international businesses and NGOs, a channel was established to export Palestinian products from Gaza that are available despite the blockade.
Gaza’s Ark was preparing to provide training to Gaza’s sailors in the use of up-to-date electronic sailing equipment and techniques, which they have been denied for years as a result of the blockade.
Although it helped in a very limited manner to alleviate Gaza’s unemployment crisis by paying wages to the boat builders and providing business opportunities to traders, Gaza’s Ark was not an aid project. It was a peaceful action against the blockade which Israel unilaterally and illegally imposes on Gaza.
Gaza’s Ark stood in solidarity with the Palestinian fishers in Gaza whose ability to operate in territorial waters and to derive a livelihood is threatened by the same illegal Israeli blockade which our campaign is challenging.
Gaza’s Ark challenged the blockade by building hope on the ground in Gaza. It affirmed our confidence that the Palestinians of Gaza can rebuild their economy through outbound trade that threatens no-one’s security.
Although the Israelis may have destroyed this boat they will not destroy hope.
The project endured many difficult challenges and obstructions that delayed its planned sailing. The boat was nearly ready to sail in the spring of 2014, until an explosion was detonated on the boat at 3.45am on April 29th. Extensive damage was caused.
(Gaza’s Ark after it was attacked on 29 April 2014)
Gaza Ark’s organizers remained determined after this attack and continued to work on the project, repairing the damage and setting a new sailing timeline for September, 2014. The boat was on track for her September sailing when the Israeli offensive began in early July 2014, which killed more than two thousand people, injured thousands more and caused massive destruction across the Gaza Strip, with damage to homes, factories, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure.
On 10 July 2014, Gaza was on fire as F16 attacked and the Israeli navy fired on the seaport. At about 2am Gaza’s Ark was hit by a missile and was quickly engulfed in flames. The bombardment was so severe that the Civil Defense firefighting crews were unable to enter the seaport. The Ark was burned to a skeleton.
The Gaza’s Ark was attacked in the midst of the Israeli offensive to ensure that news of its destruction was lost in the larger story of the war in the western media. Publicity of the attack would have proved to the international community that Israel will do whatever they can to prevent exports from Gaza and to stop Palestinians from developing their economy. Ultimately, that’s the main reason for the siege. Current exports are only 3% of the 2006 amounts. When you consider the siege you think about how hard it is to import materials and goods, but in fact the blockade on exports is far more harmful to the economy. (Written by Charlie Andreasson, activist with Ship to Gaza – Sweden and volunteer worker and Quality Control Manager on Gaza’s Ark 2013-2014.)
For more information about Gaza’s Ark, go to
http://www.gazaark.org/
JUNE 2015 Freedom Flotilla III-
Marianne
Juliano 2, Rachel and Vittorio
Route of the Marianne from Sweden to Gaza. The other 3 boats joined the Mariann off the coast of Crete, Greece
In June 2015, four boats in Freedom Flotilla III, sailed from Greece carrying 47 passengers from 17 countries. Two other boats were scheduled to sail but were unable to do so. The Swedish ship Marianne had sailed from Sweden for several months with stops in Europe and the Mediterranean. The Marianne had 18 passengers when was stolen by the IOF. The other three boats, the Rachel, Vittorio, Juliano 2, returned to port in Greece. Their names (Rachel, Vittorio and Juliano II) were given in memory of peace activists Rachel Corrie, Vittorio Arrigoni and Juliano Mer-Khamis, while Juliano II also recalls the Juliano, another boat that was about to leave port but had to stay, due to technical reasons. It is not yet clear whether this boat has been sabotaged, as happened in 2011, and this suspicious case is still under investigation.
While the Flotilla bore much-needed aid, the main cargo was, as always, human solidarity and non-violent direct action for the respect of human rights.
The passengers on the four boats were:
MARIANNE AV GÖTEBORG (Swedish flag, 18 people) Dror Feiler (Sweden / Musician & composer)
Bassel Ghattas (Israel / Member of Israeli Knesset, Palestinian politician)
Dr. Moncef Marzuki (Tunisia / Human Rights activist, Ex-President of Tunisia)
Ana Miranda (Spain / Member of the European Parliament (BNG))
Nadya Kevorkova (Russia / Journalist)
Kajsa Ekis Ekman (Sweden / Journalist, Author)
Robert Lovelace (Canada / University Professor & retired Algonquin Chief)
Joel Opperdoes (Sweden / Crew)
Gustave Bergstrom (Sweden)
Herman Reksten (Norway)
Kevin Neish (Canada)
Jonas Karlin (Sweden)
Charlie Andreasson (Sweden)
Ammar Al-Hamdan (Norway / Aljazeera Arabic)
Mohammed El Bakkali (Morroco / Aljazeera Arabic)
Ohad Hemo (Israel / Channel 2 Israeli TV)
Ruwani Perera (New Zealand / MaoriTV)
Jacob Bryant (New Zealand / MaoriTV) RACHEL (Greek flag, 8 people)
Ehab Lotayef (Canada)
Christian Martel (Canada / Retired Québec trade-unionist)
Anouar Gharbi (Tunisia / Founding member of the ECESG)
Yannis Vaitsis (Greece / Doctor)
[K] (Greece / Crew)
[X] (Greece / Crew
Marietta Simegiatou (Greece)
Aissa Boukanoun (France / Journalist, Euronews Arabic) VITTORIO (Greek flag, 9 people)
Ann Wright (USA / retired U.S. Army colonel & former State Dept. Official)
Nasser Hamdaduche (Algeria / MP)
[D] (Greece / Crew)
[L] (Greece / Doctor)
Gerd von der Lippe (Norway / Professor in Sports Sociology & Author)
[N] (Greece / Crew)
Wellu Koivisto (Finland)
Achilleas Karaklis (Greece)
Abdel Lateef Belkaim (Algeria / Shourouk TV) JULIANO II (Greek flag) 12 people
Martin Lejeune (Germany / Freelance journalist)
Zohar Chamberlain (Israel / Rumbo a Gaza)
[M] (Greece / Crew)
Claudio Tamagnini (Italy / International Solidarity Movement)
Anas Nairoukh (Jordan)
Lennart Berggren (Sweden / Freelance journalist)
Abouzaid El Mokrie El Idrissi (Morocco / MP, ruling party)
Odysseas Voudouris (Greece / Surgeon, ex president of MSF-Greece, ex MP)
Iasonas Voudouris (Greece)
[N] (Greece / Crew)
[M] (Greece / Crew)
Tayfun Jalci (Turkey / Anadolu news agency)
https://freedomflotilla.org/coalition-statements/22-freedomflotilla-iii-47-participants-on-four-boats-sailing-now-nextportgaza
A maritime court in Haifa, Israel in November 2015 approved the Israeli government’s request to seize the Marianne.
Marianne was boarded in international waters by the Israeli navy on the 29th June 2015 during an attempt to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The ship conducted under duress to Israel where the crew and the international delegates who were on board first imprisoned and later deported from Israel. Thereafter, the vessel, owned by the Swedish Ship to Gaza, sold as scrap – by the Israeli Navy. Gaza has filed a claim for compensation for the full value of the ship, while the Israeli government claims that it has the legal right to seize the ship.
The same court has previously rejected the Israeli demand to seize the Ship to Gaza Finnish-flagged sailing schooner S / V Estelle as was accomplished in identical circumstances in October 2012. A verdict that was confirmed by the Israeli Supreme Court in June this year.
In both cases, the state has a way compelled to rely on the British Naval price Act of 1864, a law which it claims is applicable in Israel as a legal relic of the time of the British Mandate in Palestine, 1920-1948.
Naval price act came originally to sanction States legal claim to get cut civilian merchant ships during the war. It has until now not been raised in any court since World War II.
The Court’s argument to accept the requirement to obtain seize Marianne – despite the fact that they rejected the same requirements in terms of the S / V Estelle – based on Navy in the former case were waiting over 10 months after the boarding of producing any legal requirements.
The Israeli Navy in this way must try to revive an over 150 year old law from the era of completely different principles of international law have been noted with some surprise by maritime law experts.
Gaza is now in consultation with their Israeli lawyers to decide whether to appeal the Maritime Court.
https://shiptogaza.se/sv/Pressmeddelande/israelisk-domstol-konfiskerar-marianne-med-stod-av-150-ar-gammal-kaperila
Marianne-Swedish Ship to Gaza
One of the three sailboats on the 2015 flotilla
A MaoriTV media team of senior journalist Ruwani Perera and award-winning, free-lance camera operator Jacob Bryant, reported on the 2015 Freedom Flotilla III attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.
Facilitated by Kia Ora Gaza, the Native Affairs team joined other international journalists on the board the flotilla to observe and document the mission.
Here are the links to their two part documentary.
PART 1
PART 2
SEPTEMBER 2016 Women’s Boats to Gaza
WOMEN’S BOATS TO GAZA
Zaytouna Oliva and Amal 1 in Barcelona Harbor
In September 2016, two boats, the Amal and the Zaytouna Oliva, were a part of the Women’s Boats to Gaza sailing 1,715 miles to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. The Amal suffered a major engine problem in Barcelona, Spain and was unable to accompany the Zaytouna. The Zaytouna sailed from Barcelona to Corsica to Sicily and finally to 34 miles off Gaza where it was stolen by the IOF and 13 women passengers and crew from 13 countries were kidnapped, interrogated, imprisoned and deported.
The Women’s Boat to Gaza , the Zaytouna Oliva, set sail from Barcelona, Spain on Sept. 15 to bring international attention to this Israeli-imposed darkness. We sailed with 13 women on our initial voyage, a three-day trip to Ajaccio, Corscia, France.
Captain and Crew
C aptain Madeline Habib from Australia, who has decades of captaining and sailing experience recently as the Captain of the Dignity, a Doctors Without Borders ship that rescues migrants from North Africa.
Crewmembers:
Emma Ringqvist from Sweden
Synne Sofia Reksten from Norway.
The international participants selected to be on this part of the journey were:
Co-Boat Leaders:
Wendy Goldsmith, Canadian social-worker human rights campaigner,
Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. diplomat Women’s Boat to Gaza co-leaders of the boat
Delegates:
Rosana Pastor Muñoz, member of Parliament and actor from Spain;
Malin Bjork, member of the European Parliament from Sweden;
Paulina de los Reyes, a Swedish professor originally from Chile;
Jaldia Abubakra, Palestinian from Gaza now a Spanish citizen and political activist;
Dr. Fauziah Hasan, medical doctor from Malaysia;
Yehudit Ilany, political consultant and journalist from Israel;
Lucia Muñoz, Spanish journalist with Telesur;
Kit Kittredge, U.S. human rights and Gaza activist
Delegates Unable to Sail from Barcelona Due to Malfunction of Amal 1
Other participants who had flown to Barcelona but were unable to sail due to the breakdown of the second boat, Amal-Hope, were:
Co-Boat Leaders:
Zohar Chamberlain Regev, a German and Israeli citizen resident in Spain
Ellen Huttu Hansson-Sweden
Lisa Fithian- U.S. – internationally recognized non-violence trainer
Norsham Binti Abubakr,-Malaysia- medical administrator
Gail Miller- U.S.-Palestine activist
Crew members:
Laura Pastor Solera from Spain,
Marilyn Porter from Canada
Josefin Westman from Sweden.
Ivory Hackett-Evans, a boat captain from the United Kingdom, flew to Barcelona and then to Messina from work with migrants in Greece to help find another boat in Sicily to replace the Amal-Hope.
A new group of women joined us in Ajaccio, Corsica, France for the 3.5-day trip from to Messina, Sicily, Italy. Besides our crew, the participants were:
Boat co-leaders
Wendy Goldsmith from Canada
Ann Wright from the U.S.;
Medical Doctor Dr. Fauziah Hasan from Malaysia;
Latifa Habbechi, member of Parliament from Tunisia;
Khadija Benguenna, Al Jazeera journalist and broadcaster from Algeria;
Heyet El-Yamani, Al Jazeera Mubasher On-Line journalist from Egypt;
Yehudit Ilany, political consultant and journalist from Israel;
Lisa Gay Hamilton, TV actor and activist from the United States;
Norsham Binti Abubakr, medical administrator from Malaysia;
Kit Kittredge, U.S. human rights and Gaza activist.
Messina, Sicily, Italy to Gaza trip
A third group of women sailed for nine days and 1,000 miles from Messina, Sicily, to 34.2 miles from Gaza before the Israeli military stopped us in international waters, 14.2 miles outside the illegal 20-mile Israeli imposed “Security Zone” that limits access to Palestine’s only port located at Gaza City.
The ten women participants and three crew members were:
Nobel Peace Laureate from Northern Ireland Mairead Maguire
Algerian Parliamentarian Samira Douaifia
New Zealand Parliamentarian Marama Davidson;
Swedish First Substitute Member of the Swedish Parliament Jeanette Escanilla Diaz (originally from Chile);
South African Olympic athlete and university student rights activist Leigh Ann Naidoo;
Spanish professional photographer Sandra Barrialoro;
Malaysian medical doctor Fauziah Hasan
Al Jazeera journalists British Mena Harballou
Lebanese citizen Hoda Rakhme living in Russia
Retired US Army Colonel and former US diplomat Ann Wright
Captain Madeleine Habib from Australia
Crew member Emma Ringqvist from Sweden
Crew member Synne Sofia Reksten from Norway
Participants who were not able to sail from Messina due to lack of readiness of Amal 2
While the Zaytouna-Olivia sailed to Sicily, our international coalition attempted to find a second boat to continue the mission to Gaza. Despite great efforts, ultimately a second boat could not be fully crewed due to the delayed timeline and many women who traveled from around the world to Messina were unable to go on the final voyage to Gaza.
That group’s participants were:
Çigdem Topçuoglu, a professional athlete and trainer from Turkey who sailed in 2010 on the Mavi Marmara where her husband was killed;
Naomi Wallace, playwright of Palestinian issues and author from the U.S.;
Gerd von der Lippe, athlete and professor from Norway;
Eva Manly, retired documentary maker and human rights activist from Canada;
Efrat Lachter, TV journalist from Israel;
Orly Noy, online journalist from Israel;
Jaldia Abubakra, Palestinian from Gaza now a Spanish citizen and political activist;
boat co-leaders from the international Freedom Coalition
Zohar Chamberlain Regev, a German and Israeli citizen resident in Spain,
Ellen Huttu Hansson from Sweden,
Wendy Goldsmith from Canada;
and crew members:
Sofia Kanavle from the U.S.,
Maite Mompó from Spain
Siri Nylen from Sweden.
Many photos of Women’s Boat to Gaza here:
https://wbg.freedomflotilla.org/video-photo-archive
2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla
“The Right to A Just Future for Palestine”
May 15-August 3, 2018
The 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla “The Right to A Just Future for Palestine” began its voyage in mid- May from several ports in Scandinavia.
Two boats – Al Awda (The Return) and Freedom sailed along the Atlantic coast, while two other boats – Mairead (for Nobel Peace Laureate and great supporter for Palestine Mairead Maguire) and Falestine travelled via European canals and rivers, the first time any of the Gaza flotilla boats had attempted this route.
At the instigation of the Israeli Ambassador to France, Paris police patrol boats refused to let the two small boats stop on the Seine River in Paris for planned educational activities-but the refusal got the flotilla publicity.
Video of the police preventing the Gaza flotilla boats from stopping in Paris.
https://www.reuters.com/video/2018/06/17/french-police-block-gaza-flotilla-from-d?videoId=436816338
Each leg of the voyage on all four boats had new participants to give more supporters of Palestine an opportunity to participate directly on the 2018 flotilla. Over 100 persons participated on the boats during the 75 day voyage and hundreds more helped as ground and port support in the 28 ports that were visited by at least one of the boats. Artists in many communities were invited to paint on the boats with messages to Palestine.
In late July, the boats met together again-in Palermo, Sicily, Italy for the final leg towards Gaza. Information and photos about events and visitors along the way are recorded throughout our website
https://jfp.freedomflotilla.org/category/news, as well as on our social media sites, Facebook and Twitter.
Unfortunately due to a mechanical issue and a crewing issue, the two small boats Falestine and Mairead ended their voyage in the Mediterranean and could not directly confront the illegal Israeli blockade.
Al Awda and Freedom left Palermo on 22 July 2018 on their final leg to the port of Gaza, Palestine. Al Awda had 22 crew and participants and Freedom had 12 crew and passengers. The Israeli military stopped both boats in international waters, Al Awda on July 29 and Freedom on August 3, arrested the crew and delegates, beat two crew members badly, tasered four and broke the ribs of three, took them against their will to a country they did not want to go-Israel, imprisoned them and ultimately deported them.
As this is written in mid-September 2018, forty-five days after stopping the two boats, the Israeli military has not sent the 114 boxes of medical supplies (sterile gauze and sutures) worth over 10,000 euros to Gaza as required by international law.
Photo of Crew and Participants on Al Awda on the way to Gaza.
The 22 crew and participants on the final leg of Al Awda were:
Zohar Regev Chamberlain- Spain-Boat Leader Gerd von der Lippe- Norway- Freedom Flotilla Coalition, professor and journalists Dr. Mohd Afandi Salleh- Malaysia – Professor Herman Reksten- Norway- Captain Charles Andreasson-Sweden- First Mate Yonathan Shapira-Israeli- crew member Mikkel Grünner – Norway- crew member Jorgen Pederson – Norway – crew member and chef Jan Petter Hammervold – Norway – crew members and chef Arne Birger Heli -Norway – engineer Divina Levrini – Sweden – Human rights activist Larry Commodore – First Nation representative from Canada Mike Treen – Trade Union representative from New Zealand Lucia Mazzarrasa Alvear- Spain – Professor of Nursing (retired) Joe Meadors -United States – Survivor of Israeli attack on USS Liberty in 1967 Sarah Katz – France – Demographer (retired) Chris Graham – Australia – Journalist Dr. Swee Chai Ang – UK – Physician & co-founder of Medical Assistance for Palestine Jason Soo – Singapore -Journalist Emilia Nacher Verdaguer – Spain – Nurse Merouane Metidji – xxx- Al Jazeera Journalist Abdelmounim Elamrani – xxxx- Al Jazeera Journalist
Photo of Crew and Participants on Freedom
The 12 crew and participants on the final leg of Freedom were:
Karin Sanfridson – Sweden
Ian Diez Young – UK/Spain
Richard Sudan – UK – Journalist
https://shiptogaza.se/en/about-us
The crew and participants on Falestine that had to stop in Greece due to mechanical problems caused by a storm after leaving Sicily are:
Andreas Gustafsson – Sweden – Captain
Jan Stromdahl – Sweden
Nils Andersson – Sweden
Gabor Tiroler – Sweden
Schedule of Boats Around and Through Europe to Sicily
Al Awda and Freedom stopped in the following cities and local Palestinian supporters helped organize educational events to emphasize the horrific conditions that Palestinians are living under in Gaza and the West Bank.
Bergan, Norway –Al Awda begins its journey
May 15 Gothenberg, Sweden –Freedom, Falestine and Mairead begin their journeys
My 20 – 21 Copenhagen, Denmark— All Four boats meet and begin the 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla
May 27-28 Kiel, Brunsbuttel and Wilhelmshafen, Germany
May 31- June 3 Amsterdam, the Netherlands –Falestine and Mairead leave Al Awda and Freedom to begin their journey down the waterways and canals of the Netherlands, Belgium and France to the Mediterranean
June 5-8 Brighton, UK – Freedom stops in Brighton
June 4-5 Jersey, Channel Islands, UK -Al Awda stops in Jersey
June 7-9 La Rochelle, France
June xxxx Gijon, Spain
June 19-22 Lisboa (Cascais), Portugal
June 23-26 Cadiz, Spain
June 29-July 1 Malaga, Spain (technical stop)
Tunis, Tunisia (Freedom made an emergency stop in Tunis, Tunisia for a journalist who needed an emergency appendectomy
July 2-4 Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
July 5-8 Ajaccio, Corsica, France
July 10-14 Naples, Italy
July 16-22 Palermo, Italy
July 22-23 Messina, Italy (with small team)
Off to Gaza
Inside Al Awda
Articles and Videos on 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla
xxxxxxxxxxx
May 29, 2018 Palestinian Flotilla Sailing OUT OF GAZA–Al-Hurriyah (Liberty)
Boat from Gaza attempts to break Israeli blockade By Mohammed Arafat See more at:
https://wearenotnumbers.org/home/Story/Boat_from_Gaza_attempts_to_break_Israeli_blockade Abdul Menim Aabed, 27, is among a crowd of Gazan Palestinians who are anxious—despite the obvious danger—to be among the first to try to sail out of Gaza tomorrow on Al-Hurriyah (Liberty). The boat is being organized by the Great Return March National Organizing Committee and will carry 35 Gazans who hope to receive medical treatment or to study abroad. “I can’t walk right anymore and I can’t get the treatment I need here in Gaza,” says the wheelchair-bound Aabed, who was shot in both legs at the border protest May 4. “I’m desperate.” The plan for the requisitioned fishing boat is to attempt its departure on May 29, the eighth anniversary of the Israeli attack on the Turkish boat Mavi Marmara, one of the ships in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that tried to break through the blockade. When Israeli troops halted the flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, nine activists were killed. The international outrage that followed forced the Israeli government to ease the blockade somewhat by allowing more goods into Gaza, but it has remained in place. Protest organizers have warned potential passengers it is likely the Al-Hurriyah will be attacked by the Israeli navy and they could be arrested as well. Still, Aabed and others are lining up to register for this first attempted voyage or for others that will follow. Kamal Tarazi Another hopeful passenger is Kamal Elias Tarazi, a Palestinian from Bethlehem who traveled through Egypt to Gaza to visit family members in 2012 and has been stuck there ever since, despite repeated attempts to leave. “My health is bad and I want to go home,” he says. “I’ve tried to leave through [Egypt’s] Rafah crossing dozens of times, but they refuse to let me out.” Egypt has opened the Rafah crossing for the duration of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, temporarily easing the border blockade of Gaza enforced by Israel for the past 12 years. But more than 20,000 residents hoping to travel are on the waiting list, a backlog created by long periods of closure, and Egyptian border officials are clearing about 400 travelers attempting to leave a day, about a third of the usual volume in past years. For those with money, there’s also the option of what Gaza residents sarcastically call “Egyptian coordination.” This refers to payments, reportedly up to $3,000 per traveler, to Palestinian middlemen who claim to have connections on the Egyptian side. Few Gazans have that kind of money, however, and sometimes these middlemen simply pocket the fee without producing any results. Permits are even more difficult to obtain to travel out of Gaza via the Israeli Erez exit. In April, for example, only about half of all requests by to leave for urgent health care were approved. Holding a poster thanking Turkey and other countries for being willing to accept Palestinians, Tarazi didn’t seem scared about attempting to travel by boats since he has “tried all other means to get out. I don’t care if these boats are hit by the Israeli army. I have to try everything to get treatment and go back home to Bethlehem.” Tarazi’s message to the world is the same as that of all of Gazans interviewed: to help break the Israeli siege. “We have thousands of injured people here in Gaza and they must get treatment outside Gaza,” he says. Yousef Abu Arish, director general for the Gaza Ministry of Health, said at a news conference that the health care system in the Strip is unable to deal with the large number of wounded (more than 13,000 to date) from the Great Return March. “We’re working in inhumane conditions in terms of the extent of the injuries and the number of wounded being brought in at the same time to the shock room and the operating rooms. As skilled as the staff is and as much as they want to help the victims, in the end they’ll collapse under the burden,” Mahmoud Matar, MD, a specialist in orthopedics at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City told the Haaretz newspaper. Adnan al-Barash, MD, added that surgeons are seeing complex injuries, including bullet-exit wounds 15 centimeters wide. “There’s no question the Israeli army is using bullets and other very dangerous weapons that leave very complex injuries requiring prolonged treatment, which the health care system in Gaza is unable to provide,” he said. The Mavi Marmara The attempt to address this crisis by sailing a boat out of Gaza comes one week after the launch of a three-ship flotilla attempting to break the Israeli blockade from the outside. The group includes a fishing boat owned by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition named Al-Awda (Arabic for return), which left the Norwegian port of Bergen April 30, and three ships sponsored by Sweden’s Ship to Gaza movement–the Heria (another English spelling for the Arabic word for freedom, or liberty), Falestine (Palestine) and Mairead (after the Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate and BDS activist Mairead Maguire, who was on board the 2010 flotilla in which the Mavi Marmara participated). Although the Free Gaza Movement successfully sailed five times into Gaza, all flotillas since 2008 have been forcibly stopped by the Israeli navy. Israeli aircraft targeted and destroyed a boat May 23 in the Gaza City harbor that had been due to sail to meet this latest flotilla should it actually succeed. “Gaza has become a big prison isolated from the world. The Palestinians of Gaza are banned from the exercising the simplest of human rights due to the Israeli siege,” said Salah Abdul Atti, a member of coordination committee for the Great Return March, when the attempt to sail out was announced. No further details on the boat or the first round of selected passengers were released, to try to protect them from Israeli reprisal. During the press conference, students, injured people, children and others held posters saying, ‘’We dream to have a seaport’’ and “We are waiting for your ships and delegations to break the Israeli siege on Gaza.’’ One group held pictures of the nine passengers who were killed during the Israeli attack on the Mavi Marmara. Ismail Ridwan, a leader with the Hamas government, noted, “Our case [against Israel] is political, and humanitarian cases should not be linked to political debate because health care and education are basic human rights.” One 60-year-old woman who refused to give her name attended, even though she is too sick to travel by boat. Nevertheless, she said she came to the seaport to “support and encourage those who will participate so we can break the siege that is suffocating us.”
Posted: May 28, 2018
– See more at:
https://wearenotnumbers.org/home/Story/Boat_from_Gaza_attempts_to_break_Israeli_blockade
By +972 Magazine |Published May 29, 2018 IDF intercepts Gaza boat trying to escape the blockade
Carrying 17 people, including university students, cancer patients, and protesters wounded by Israeli forces during the Great Return March, the Gaza boat was headed towards Cyprus before IDF gunboats intercepted it. By Meron Rapoport, Mohammed Zaanoun, and +972 Magazine Staff
https://972mag.com/idf-intercepts-gaza-boat-trying-to-escape-the-blockade/135818/ Israeli gunships intercepted a Palestinian boat attempting to break Israel’s naval siege of the Gaza Strip Tuesday afternoon. The attempt to break the blockade comes two weeks after Israeli soldiers killed at least 60 Palestinian protesters and wounded thousands of others at the Gaza-Israel separation barrier on Gaza’s eastern boundary. The boat was headed to Limassol, Cyprus, and was part of a small flotilla comprised of three boats in total. The two other boats turned back and did not breach the naval blockade line enforced by the IDF. The IDF does not allow Palestinians to venture more than nine miles off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The boat that the IDF intercepted was carrying 17 people. Those on board were mainly university students, but also included cancer patients and protesters wounded during the Return March seeking medical care outside of the besieged Gaza Strip, flotilla participants said. “We are two university graduates, we lost hope of finding work in Gaza. Life in Gaza is impossible. We want a secure future. We are leaving for the sake of freedom,” flotilla participants Shadi al Nakleh, 28, and Ihab abu Armaneh, 29, told +972 correspondent Mohammed Zaanoun. “We have no connection to any political party in Palestine,” the participants added. “We are sailing peacefully, without any weapons. Our message to the world is that we want peace — our journey is nonviolent.” Asked about the risks their journey could entail, the participants responded, “We believe we will arrive in peace, but there are clear dangers: attack, arrest, the sinking the ship.” “But the most important thing is that we will get their peacefully,” they stressed. “All other messages have failed.” “Shadi told me that he wanted to leave, that he wanted to find work,” said Shadi’s mother. “He made his decision — what can I do? May God protect him from danger.”
After Israeli naval forces intercepted the boat, the IDF spokesperson announced that the boat would be towed to a naval base in Ashdod and the passengers returned to Gaza.
The interception of the Cyprus-bound boat comes just as another Freedom Flotilla, which departed the Norwegian port of Bergen on April 30, is on its way to Gaza. It is also nearly eight years to the day since Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, part of the 2010 Gaza flotilla, and killed 10 Turkish activists.
Under the Oslo Accords, which created the system according to which the Israeli military rules Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel agreed to allow Palestinian boats, and in particular fisherman, to operate freely in a zone extending 20 nautical miles off the Gaza coast. The IDF, however, has not abided by that commitment for the past decade. Israeli authorities first shrunk the zone to 10 nautical miles, then three nautical miles. As part of a cease-fire agreement with Hamas after the 2014 Gaza war, however, Israel agreed to expand the zone to six nautical miles. The size of the permitted fishing zone changes at the whim of Israeli military commanders and politicians, who have in the past openly discussed how they use it as collective punishment against civilians in response to rocket fire from armed groups. Sometimes Israeli naval forces simply announce via loudspeakers that they are reducing the size of the zone on a given day. Israel’s decade-old siege on the Gaza Strip, reinforced by Egypt, is enforced through a military blockade on Gaza’s land and sea borders, full control of the Strip’s airspace and the destruction of its only airport. Despite the fact that Israel pulled its troops out of Gaza in 2005 the army still controls the Strip’s currency (the new Israeli shekel), the population registry, large parts of the electricity and water grids, all imports and exports, and decides who may enter and exit through the only regularly open passenger border crossing. The IDF also controls movement inside the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops maintain a no-go zone several hundred meters from the Gaza-Israel separation barrier — the site of the 45-day-long Gaza Return March protests during which Israeli forces killed over 100 Palestinian demonstrators and wounded tens of thousands with live ammunition. Video of the flotilla:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1208983775909794
July 10, 2018 Palestinian Flotilla Sailing OUT OF GAZA
For second time in 2 months, IDF intercepts Gaza blockade-running boat
Navy arrests 8 passengers, some of them Palestinians injured in recent border clashes with Israel, after vessel left permitted fishing zone, ostensibly en route to Cyprus
The Israeli Navy stopped and seized a fishing boat that attempted to break through the naval blockade around the Gaza Strip, arresting the eight Palestinians on board, some of them people injured in recent border clashes with Israeli troops, the military said. The vessel’s purported destination was Cyprus, however the boat lacked the equipment necessary to safely reach the island nation, making it more likely that this was a symbolic act of protest. “The vessel was seized without incident,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
After a search of the vessel, the boat was towed to the Israeli Navy’s base at the Ashdod port.
New ‘freedom flotilla’ to set sail from Gaza to Cyprus
The New Arab New ‘freedom flotilla’ to set sail from Gaza to Cyprus The boats will carry patients and Gazans injured by Israel [Al-Araby al-Jadeed]
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/7/9/new-freedom-flotilla-to-set-sail-from-besieged-gaza
A flotilla of small boats carrying activists, patients, and some Palestinians injured in recent clashes near Gaza’s border with Israel will attempt an arduous journey out of besieged strip. A new attempt to break Israel’s crippling blockade of Gaza will be launched on Tuesday, a local NGO in the besieged Palestinian enclave has announced. A flotilla of small boats carrying activists, patients, and some Gazans injured in recent clashes near the border with Israel would attempt the journey from Gaza’s port, the Great Return March National Organising Committee said at a press briefing Monday. This is the second such attempt from Gaza since late May, when the Israeli navy stopped and seized a similar flotilla protesting its blockade on the strip. The small flotilla had left a port in the Palestinian enclave with the goal of breaking the decade-long Israeli blockade and aimed to reach Cyprus. Gaza has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt for over a decade, preventing vital supplies reaching Palestinians there. Salah Abdul Atti, one of the organisers, called on the UN to protect the flotilla and those on board and pressure Israel to allow it to reach Cyprus. Abdul Atti also called on international organisations to work for the release of the captain of the first flotilla, Suhail al-Amoudi, who is still being detained by Israel following the interception of the boats. Explainer: Life in Gaza under Israel’s blockade The Great Return March National Organising Committee is the group now known for staging the large border protests since late March, which Israel violently attempted to suppress. Since the protests began on March 30, they have been violently quashed by the Israeli army. At least 139 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. The majority of those killed were non-violent protestors, as well as journalists, bystanders and a nurse. Only a small number were seeking to breach or damage the border fence, although they too were unarmed. No Israelis have been killed. The 11-year-long Israeli blockade has long starved the Gaza Strip from receiving much needed humanitarian aid, including food stuffs, medical equipment, and clean water. Starting in 2007 the blockade limits Palestinians use of their territorial sea to 9 nautical miles (16 kilometres). This zone is allocated for fishing and other “small scale economic activity”. However, the Israeli authorities limit these activities as well, often targeting any boats which enter the zone. May-August 2023 HANDALA ‘For the Children of Gaza’ Flotilla Freedom Flotilla / Ship to Gaza: In May 2023, the boat “Handala” set off on a Palestine solidarity voyage in northern Europe, under the motto “For the Children of Gaza”, to inform about the terrible conditions children live in in the Gaza Strip. Handala visited a number of ports in Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden. Photos will be added soon, but see photos taken at various port calls here:
https://www.shiptogaza.no/handala-2023.html
Also read the story about “The bravest boat in the world” in Drammen Live 24. April 2024 BREAK THE SIEGE Early in 2024 three “Break the Siege” ships were ready to overcome the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza, carrying more than 5,500 tons of humanitarian aid. Hundreds of FFC participants from 40 countries were in Istanbul ready to sail in April, 2024. Just 24 hours before the flotilla was due to sail, and after going through countless inspections and paperwork, Guinea Bissau withdrew its flag fromour ships. Supporters all over the world were outraged in the blocking of the Freedom Flotilla’s departure. Governments blocking the Flotilla’s departure exposed their complicity in the genocide and their violation of the International Court of Justice’s January 26, 2024 ruling. The Turkish government continued, for almost six months, to block the three ships from leaving Istanbul. FFC organizers, participants, and solidarity partners have led protests blocking the entrance to the port in Istanbul, in a sustained effort to get the boats released. Finally, the large cargo ship was allowed to sail, but only to offload humanitarian cargo in Egypt where it was blocked from entering Gaza. You can see some of the photos from time in Istanbul from articles here:
https://freedomflotilla.org/news-articles-about-ffc/ For several months, Turkish activists held a 24 hour a day protest encampment called “Freedom Watch” near the dock for the release of the ship called “Conscience.” Due to this citizen activism and pressure, the “Conscience” was finally released in the spring of 2025.
https://freedomflotilla.org/2024/09/04/protest-to-free-conscience/ U.N. experts called for safe passage of the vessels, writing, quote, “The Flotilla is a material manifestation of international support for the ongoing Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination, and the internationally recognized right to receive humanitarian aid without interference or hindrance. Support for the Palestinian people’s human rights is acute under the current conditions of genocide, domicide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,” they said. May-August 2024 HANDALA
In May 2024, “Handala” began a second Palestine solidarity voyage again under the motto “For the Children of Gaza”, to inform about the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Handala visited a number of ports in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Malta. The Handala stayed in the Mediterranean over the 2024-25 winter. Read more about the voyage here:
https://www.shiptogaza.no/handala-2024.html
Books about the Boats of the Free Gaza Movement and Freedom Flotilla Coalition
Freedom Sailors
Midnight on the Mavi Marmara
Towards Gaza: Live on the Freedom Flotilla
Drawing A Line in the Sea: The Gaza Flotilla Incident and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Zionist view)
Ship to Gaza (Order from Ship to Gaza-Sweden (
https://shop.shiptogaza.se/product/bok-bakgrunden-resan-framtiden#.WTiTXfrys6U)
Estelle (In Norweigian with great photos–order from Ship to Gaza-Norway
http://www.shiptogaza.no/)
https://shop.shiptogaza.se/product/bok-bakgrunden-resan-framtiden#.WTiTXfrys6U
Women’s Boat to Gaza (Photo Album from Malaysian campaign)
34 Miles-Women’s Boat to Gaza (in Malaysian)
Articles, Videos
2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla
2011 Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Slow Boat to Gaza- 30 Page Photo Essay by Ray McGovern of 2011 Gaza Freedom Flotilla and Audacity of Hope 0811-ray-gazaboat
Greece Arrest Captain of Gaza-Bound US Boat
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/07/201172143643709749.html
Watchful Activists Guard Boats Bound for Gaza
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/07/201171142616817763.html
Greet Coast Guard Seizes Canadian Ship Bound for Gaza
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2011/07/04/greek-coast-guard-seizes-canadian-ship-bound-gaza
Other Resources
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