‘Handala’ ship approaches Gaza coast, reaching farther than last month’s ‘Madleen’ flotilla
The aid flotilla has reportedly already made it closer to the Strip than the Madleen flotilla that was stopped by Israeli forces last month.
Activists aboard the Handala ship said on Saturday that they are approaching the coast of the Gaza Strip and have already passed the point where the Madleenflotilla was stopped last month.
The ship set sail from Italy earlier this week. “The world is watching,” the activists said. The flotilla from last month made headlines, highlighting the presence of pro-Palestinian activist Greta Thunberg.
The Israel Navy is preparing to intercept the vessel, which, as of Saturday afternoon, is approximately 200 kilometers from Gaza.
“The flotilla is a collective act of conscience,” said Huwaida Arraf, a human rights attorney, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, and a member of the steering committee for the “Freedom Flotilla.” The boat is named after the well-known Palestinian cartoon character “Handala,” described as “a barefoot refugee child, seeker of justice, who vowed not to turn his back until Palestine is free.”
The ship’s previous voyages
In 2023 and 2024, the Handala ship sailed to ports across Europe and the UK, “breaking the media blockade and building global solidarity through public events, art installations, and political education.”
The character Handala, whom the ship is named after. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
The vessel departed from the port of Gallipoli, Italy, on Sunday as part of an international protest flotilla whose goal, according to organizers, is to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza and express solidarity with its residents. The journey is expected to last about ten days.
Before departure, a farewell ceremony was held at the port, attended by hundreds of supporters waving Palestinian flags and calling for the ship to be allowed to reach its destination. According to the organizers, the flotilla aims to raise global awareness of the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to deliver urgent aid.
One of the Handala crew members is Jacob Berger, who is a 40-year-old actor, viral content creator, and Jewish-American, anti-Israel activist, and had started going viral on social media in 2017 due to his sketch comedy videos.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
