In 2020, the Freedom Flotilla made its 35th attempt to reach Gaza.
International Civilian Aid Flotilla
To Break the Siege of Gaza
Freedom Flotilla / The International Freedom Flotilla Coalition
(April 4, 2024) — The international Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) will sail in mid April with multiple vessels, carrying 5500 tons of humanitarian aid and hundreds of international human rights observers to challenge the ongoing illegal Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. This is an emergency mission as the situation in Gaza is dire, with famine setting in insides northern Gaza, and catastrophic hunger present throughout the Gaza Strip as the result of a deliberate policy by the Israeli government to starve the Palestinian people. Time is critical as experts predict that hunger and disease could claim more lives than have been killed in the bombing.
Getting humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza is urgent, but it is not sufficient. We must end Israel’s unlawful, deadly blockade as well as Israel’s overall control of Gaza. Allowing Israel to control what and how much humanitarian aid can get to Palestinians in Gaza is like letting the fox manage the henhouse. And yet, this is what the international community of states is allowing by refusing to sanction Israel and defy its genocidal policies in order to ensure that enough aid reaches the trapped, beleaguered and bombarded civilian population.
The Cyprus maritime corridor, the U.S. floating pier project, and symbolic air drops of food are all distractions from the fact that these methods of aid delivery are insufficient, and still leave Israel in control of what aid can get to the Palestinian people, all while Israel actively prevents thousands of aid trucks from entering Gaza through the land crossings.
On January 26 the International Court of Justice ruled that, ‘the State of Israel remains bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and with the said Order, including by ensuring the safety and security of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.’ On March 28, the ICJ ordered additional preliminary measures, which included requiring the Israeli forces to stop “preventing, through any action, the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance” to Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has long violated its responsibility as occupying power to ensure the health and wellbeing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Now, it is engaging in full scale genocidal conduct in Gaza and using starvation as a weapon of war. Israeli military and political leaders have repeatedly declared their intention to collectively punish the entire population of Gaza, including by denying them food, water and other life-sustaining aid. We therefore reject Israel’s control over the humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza and reject any Israeli inspection of our cargo.For everyone’s safety and to ensure aid is delivered to those who need it, the FFC is bringing hundreds of international humanitarian observers, from many countries and different backgrounds.
“The International Court of Justice’s preliminary measures ordered against Israel are very clear” comments Ismail Moola of South Africa’s Palestine Solidarity Alliance, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. “The court’s ruling requires the whole world to play their part to stop the genocide unfolding in Gaza, including unobstructed access to vital aid. While our governments fail to lead in these urgently required humanitarian responses, people of conscience and our grassroots organizations must act to take leadership. When governments fail, we sail!”
The FFC is a non-partisan international coalition of campaigns who stand for freedom and human rights. We have sailed since 2010 with the goal of breaking the blockade of Gaza, in solidarity with Palestinians cries for freedom and equality. Our non-violent direct action missions support the dignity and humanity of Palestinians, working with civil society partners, rather than any party, faction or government.
For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Freedom Flotilla media spokespeople https://freedomflotilla.org/media-contacts/
“Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.” –Edward Abbey
CODEPINK Flotilla to Challenge Blockage of Gaza
CODEPINK’s Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright join a Coalition of Human Rights Activists on International Civilian Aid Flotilla to Break the Siege of Gaza
INTERNATIONAL (April 5, 2024) — CODEPINK’s Ann Wright, Medea Benjamin and hundreds of other human rights activists with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition are due to set sail on multiple vessels in mid-April to carry 5,500 tons of aid for Gaza.
Their mission, aside from delivering the much-needed humanitarian aid, is to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza amid dire conditions, including widespread hunger and lack of medical attention intentionally caused by Israeli policies.
Time is running out for many in Gaza as Israel threatens an all-out attack on Rafah and experts warn hunger and disease could soon surpass casualties from bombings.
“I have been walking the halls of Congress every day since October, going to rallies every weekend, writing letters of outrage to President Biden every night–and nothing has worked to stop Israel from murdering thousands upon thousands of innocent people. What more can I do? I can go on this flotilla to try to break the criminal siege that Israel has imposed on Gaza,” said CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin.
“President Biden waited six months, waited until 33,000 had been killed, mostly women and children, before picking up the phone and demanding that Netanyahu reduce civilian harm, allow more aid in, and protect aid workers,” said CODEPINK Ret. Army Colonel and former U.S. Diplomat Ann Wright. “But even if Israel allows more humanitarian aid in, it is still bombing Gaza with U.S. bombs, shooting innocent people and imprisoning the 2.2 million people that live in Gaza.
Getting humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza is urgent, but it is not sufficient. We must end Israel’s unlawful, deadly blockade as well as Israel’s overall control of Gaza. That’s why we need this flotilla, filled with unarmed civilians, human rights observers from 30 countries, to challenge Israel’s brutal grip on the Gaza strip.”
Israel’s longstanding neglect of its responsibility as an occupying power to safeguard the health and wellbeing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank has escalated into genocidal actions, including using starvation as a weapon of war. Israeli leaders have openly declared intentions to collectively punish Gaza’s population. The Freedom Flotilla opposes Israel’s authority over aid and will refuse any inspection of our cargo. For safety and effective aid distribution, the flotilla will deploy numerous international humanitarian observers from diverse backgrounds and countries.
Despite air drops of food and temporary docks, Israel continues to block thousands of aid trucks from entering Gaza through land crossings. The International Court of Justice’s rulings on January 26 and March 28 emphasize Israel’s obligation to ensure the safety and security of Palestinians in Gaza, including facilitating humanitarian assistance without obstruction.
“The International Court of Justice’s preliminary measures ordered against Israel are very clear,” comments Ismail Moola of South Africa’s Palestine Solidarity Alliance, which is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. “The court’s ruling requires the whole world to play their part to stop the genocide unfolding in Gaza, including unobstructed access to vital aid. While our governments fail to lead in these urgently required humanitarian responses, people of conscience and our grassroots organizations must act to take leadership. When governments fail, we sail.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a non-partisan international coalition of campaigns that stand for freedom and human rights in Palestine. They have sailed since 2010 with the goal of breaking the blockade of Gaza, and in solidarity with Palestinians cries for freedom and equality. Their non-violent direct action missions support the dignity and humanity of Palestinians, working with civil society partners, rather than any party, faction or government.
Sailing into Dangerous Waters–
We All Must Do Our Part to Avoid the Worst
Coleen Rowley
Please see the press release [above] of the “Gaza Flotilla to Break Israel’s Siege” which I have decided I need to participate in and which cause you can help by donating at: https://usboatstogaza.org/ “donate button” is at bottom). Maybe I should also explain my reasons for trying this rather “extreme action” (as Aaron Bushnell might call it).
I, like others, have been traumatized these last six months seeing the faces of my own grandchildren in the images of the thousands and thousands of babies and children in Gaza that have already been and continue to be murdered, maimed, starved and orphaned there.
Along with others, husband Ross and I have been marching, calling on political leaders and constantly displaying the big red “Stop The Genocide” and “Ceasefire on Children” banner and signs (that I painted right after this horrible genocide started) at intersections and on footbridges over highways in the Twin Cities, but as the situation worsens, these responses just don’t seem enough. I just think we have to all TRY, at least TRY to do more.
The second, more self-interested reason is that I’m desperately worried about the even worse horror that awaits my own grandchildren (and all future generations here and in the world at large).
The CIA is (unfortunately) right about at least one thing! Blowback. I know that “what goes around, comes around,” that we “reap what we sow,” and (more euphemistically) that “the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice,” all ways that the world’s religions and philosophers have attempted to warn the human race not to commit evil as it will always tend to migrate home, boomerang or blow back.
Unfortunately our warhawk-incensed leaders have been so focused on manipulation of public opinion and the belief in their own exceptionalism that they seem to have fallen for their own war propaganda.
They have thrown away the basic tenets of the rule of law. U.S. complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide is just one further step (along with its dangerous brinkmanship in waging its other wars of aggression and proxy wars) in ratcheting up World War III, which is so very likely to quickly turn into nuclear omnicide.
I know that this horribly scary reality is something most people here in the Superpower cannot or will not–many do not have the emotional fortitude–to face but that obliviousness is frankly why we are all sleepwalking into this nightmare. Based on the historically well documented prior “near miss” incidents that include the “Cuban Missile Crisis,” it seems our main hope of avoiding the worst outcome, requires waking up more people to the current dangerous reality. We all must therefore do our part. Please share the info below and consider helping this important cause.
