Communication Lost with “Handala” Ship Carrying Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has reported that communication with the "Handala" ship, which is carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza under Israeli blockade, has been lost. The ship, carrying 21 activists, was last known to be surrounded by drones, raising concerns of interception or attack.
Kokcha News Agency: The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announced on its Telegram account that communication with the “Handala” ship has been completely cut off.
The FFC stated, “All communication with our team on the Handala has been lost, and there are numerous drones in the vicinity of the ship.
This suggests that they may have been intercepted or attacked.” The FFC called on supporters to pressure government representatives and local media to demand that Israel allow the Handala to proceed safely to Gaza.
The Handala ship departed from Syracuse Port in Italy on July 13 but made a stop at Gallipoli Port from July 15 to July 20 to complete final preparations due to technical needs. On July 20, the ship set sail again with 21 activists on board.
This is not the first time Israel has intervened in humanitarian missions to Gaza. Last month, on June 9, the Israeli military intercepted the “Madleen” ship, which was part of the FFC’s mission to break the blockade and deliver aid to Gaza.
The ship, carrying 12 volunteers, including European Parliament member Rima Hassan, German press coordinator Yasemin Acar, and climate activist Greta Thunberg, was seized, and the volunteers were detained in Israel. Four of them were deported on June 10, and the remaining activists were released by June 16.
In another incident on May 2, the FFC’s aid ship “Conscience” was attacked by drones off the coast of Malta. The ship sustained damage, and a fire broke out on its bow.
Reports from the Times of Malta indicated that an Israeli C-130 military transport aircraft had been circling the area for three hours before the attack. Israeli state television KAN confirmed that the aircraft had returned to a southern airbase hours before the drone strike on the “Conscience.”
