Flotilla Ship 'Handala' nears Gaza, protesters fear Navy will intercept soon | WATCH
As Aid Flotilla "Handala" Nears Gaza Coast, Israeli Navy Readies Intercept. It's unclear why they think Israel will let them through, especially after the embarrassing failure of the Madleen last month.
TwitterThe "Handala," an aid ship carrying humanitarian supplies, is approaching the Gaza Strip, having crossed the point where the "Madleen" was stopped by Israeli forces last month, activists reported today. Departing from Gallipoli, Italy, on July 20, the vessel is part of an international protest flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver aid, according to its organizers. Walla reported that the Israeli Navy is preparing to intercept the ship, currently approximately 125 miles from Gaza’s coast.
Activists posted on the ship’s X account, “Unarmed, loaded with aid, carrying hope,” emphasizing, “The world is watching.” Named after Handala, a Palestinian cartoon character representing a “barefoot refugee child seeking justice,” the flotilla aims to spotlight Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Hawaida Arraf, a human rights lawyer and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, called the mission “a collective act of conscience.” The ship previously sailed to European and UK ports in 2023 and 2024, hosting events to foster global solidarity.
A farewell ceremony in Gallipoli, attended by hundreds waving Palestinian flags, marked the start of the 10-day journey. Unlike past flotillas, climate activist Greta Thunberg is not aboard. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, behind the effort, seeks to address Gaza’s plight amid the Israel-Hamas war.
On June 9, 2025, Israeli naval commandos intercepted the "Madleen" during a similar mission. The Israeli military has not issued a statement on the "Handala," but naval preparations indicate a likely intervention to enforce the blockade, maintained to prevent Hamas from receiving weapons.