Ruptly
"The Global Sumud Flotilla steering committee held a press conference in Barcelona on Sunday ahead of the mission's departure, with more than 70 boats and a parallel land convoy set to challenge Israel's blockade on Gaza. Committee member Thiago Avila said 39 vessels were leaving from Barcelona, with more joining en route. "We are bringing more boats than all the boats combined that've ever tried to do this crossing over the Mediterranean to break the illegal siege of Gaza." "It's also going with a land convoy from North Africa, leaving from Mauritania and going through many countries until it reaches the Rafah border by land. [...] This mission is also mobilising demonstrations, encampments, strikes, a parliamentary congress and many other mobilisations," he added. "The first five missions, they actually broke the siege. So we know it's possible to break it. And we will break it again," Avila stressed. Another committee member, Susan Abdullah, underscored the mission 'gives hope' for Gazans, explaining that during the blockade, Israeli forces were not only striking the land, but "dropping flyers on Gaza, telling the people in Gaza, 'We are killing you, and nobody cares.'" "There is a lack of doctors, a lack of nurses, but most importantly, there is a lack of medicines and medical equipment," pointed out committee member Dr Aziz Ghali. "The situation is very, very, very, very difficult. You cannot imagine." "I am simply trying to give a simple picture of what is happening with children with type one diabetes and cancer patients. But you can well imagine people, but no, people living with a blood pressure of 150 over 100, and it is considered by doctors as normal simply because there are no medications. So Gaza needs our solidarity," he proclaimed. Sumeyra Akdeniz Ordu urged supporters to keep fighting. "The enemy is not giving up. Why should we give up? The Israeli regime used weapons in Gaza that caused thousands of Palestinians to evaporate. I want you to sit with that word, evaporate," she asserted. The mission, bringing together more than 1,000 participants from 70 countries, comes after Amnesty International urged states to guarantee safe passage for the flotilla, warning against any repeat of unlawful interceptions or abuse of civilian activists."
Go to News Site