Aid ship Handala restores communications, continues Gaza mission
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After a brief communication blackout, the Handala resumes its humanitarian aid mission to Gaza.
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Activists on board the Handala freedom flotilla (Instagram/@gazafreedomflotilla)
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announced Friday that communications with the Handala, a humanitarian aid vessel en route to the Gaza Strip, were restored after a two-hour interruption. During this period, drones were spotted near the vessel, triggering concerns about a possible interception or attack.
The coalition, which is coordinating the flotilla mission, stated via Telegram that the ship is now less than 349 nautical miles (646 kilometers) from Gaza and continues its journey despite recent threats.
"For about two hours, our Freedom Flotilla boat’s communications were interrupted and drones were observed near the boat, raising serious concerns of a potential attack," the FFC said.
The blackout came shortly after the coalition warned that contact had been lost, with suspicions of electronic jamming and interference by "Israel." Activists onboard maintained a state of alert as unmanned aerial vehicles remained in the vicinity of the ship.
"All communications with the Handala's crew have been jammed," an earlier statement read. The FFC emphasized that this incident echoed past threats, including the targeting of previous aid vessels.
Starlink outage linked to communication loss
Activist Tan Safi, speaking in a video released after the blackout, noted that the crew was unaware of a widespread outage affecting Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system. “Some experts are investigating it and said this was unusual,” Safi said. “It’s not the first time Elon has worked with Israel, but this was most likely a global disruption.”
Starlink confirmed a temporary global connectivity issue, which was resolved within hours.
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"Israel" has a history of blocking Freedom Flotillas from reaching Gaza. In May, a drone attack targeted the MV Conscience near Malta. In June, the ship Madleen was intercepted by "Israeli" naval forces, who detained 12 activists onboard.
The Handala, which departed from Gallipoli, Italy, is carrying 21 people, including six Americans.
American actor and activist Jacob Berger, onboard the ship, previously stated that the aim of the Flotilla is to break the Israeli blockade and inspire similar efforts from other countries. "The success of this mission would motivate others to stand up for the Palestinian people," Berger told Al Mayadeen.
The FFC has reported attempts to sabotage the mission before departure and stressed that despite threats, the morale among crew members remains high.
The Handala continues its voyage under surveillance and threats, carrying hope and essential aid to the besieged people of Gaza.
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