Contact lost with Handala; FFC says flotilla intercepted or attacked
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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition loses contact with the Handala flotilla en route to Gaza amid fears of Israeli interference and communication jamming.
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The Handala freedom flotilla is off on its way to Gaza. (@yipengGe)
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced that contact was lost with the Handala flotilla, which was bound for Gaza to break the Israeli siege on humanitarian aid entering the enclave.
"All communications with the Handala's crew have been jammed," a statement published on the FCC's telegram channel read, adding that they lost all contact with the crew while multiple drones hovered over the vessel. The FCC noted that this could mean the Handala could have been intercepted or attacked.
"We need you to pressure for the safety of the crew," the FCC's statement added, calling on people to contact their representatives and local media to "pressure Israel to let 'Handala' go and guarantee a safe passage to Gaza."
Handala set sail two days ago from the Italian port of Gallipoli, bound for Gaza, as part of the campaign to break the blockade amid the ongoing war of genocide and starvation in the Strip.
21 people aboard Handala
Human rights activist and American actor Jacob Berger, who is participating in the ship's mission, told Al Mayadeen that 21 people, including six Americans, have joined Handala's mission, explaining that the goal is to break the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and emphasizing that the success of the ship's mission would inspire other countries and ships to take similar action.
Berger also revealed that the vessel had been targeted in two separate incidents, possibly with the intent to sabotage and disrupt its mission, while stressing that morale remains very high and everyone is fully committed to helping the Palestinian people.
Last June saw a similar campaign when the ship "Madleen" set sail with activists from several countries on board, carrying humanitarian aid in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
As the ship approached Gaza, Israeli authorities ordered the military to prevent it from reaching the coastal enclave, prompting naval commandos from the elite "Shayetet 13" unit to storm the vessel, take control of it, and detain the activists on board, and later deport them to their countries.
