25.04.2024
Active preparations are underway to send another “solidarity flotilla” from Turkey to Gaza. Pro-Palestinian activists from around the world (a total of 75 people) are represented by intellectuals, journalists, former politicians, doctors, former military personnel, lawyers, citizens of Turkey, Cuba, South Africa, the United States, Great Britain, Egypt, Malaysia, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Algeria and other countries.

One of the organizers of the flotilla - 77-year-old Anne Wright, as the "big names" of the participants called the daughter of the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara 63-year-old Aleida Guevara, a pediatrician and political activist and 49-year-old grandson of South African revolutionary Nelson Mandela Zvevelili "Mandela" Mandela, who participated in the very first flotilla Free Gaza in 2010.

The launch of the flotilla has been delayed several times, and while three flotilla ships are anchored in Turkish ports, Israel is negotiating with Ankara with the help of intermediaries in an effort to prevent the flotilla from arriving. Its participants carry, in their own words, “a huge cargo of humanitarian aid” – 5,500 tons, which is equivalent to 100 trucks. 250-300 trucks of humanitarian aid are transported to the Gaza Strip every day, but UNRWA does not cope with unloading and distributing aid to those in need.

At this stage, a plan is being discussed under which a ship carrying a cargo of humanitarian aid will arrive at the port of El Arish in Egypt, where humanitarian aid will be unloaded from deck and delivered after inspection to the Gaza Strip, as well as all other humanitarian aid.

The flotilla consists of three vessels – a cargo ship with humanitarian aid and two passenger ships, which can bring in 1000-2000 people. Members of the flotilla are waiting to sail and rehearse their actions in case of possible interception of the flotilla: as stated on the website Pearls and irritations in an article by one of the members of the flotilla Medea Benjamin, pro-Palestinian activists are preparing for various scenarios.

The first option is that the flotillas will not be allowed to sail out of Turkey. The second option is “the Israelis will illegally seize us in international waters, confiscate our ships and cargo, arrest, imprison and ultimately deport us,” Benjamin writes. Pro-Palestinian activists are practicing various actions for such a scenario.