ISTANBUL April 26. 2024 (Saba) - The Freedom Flotilla Relief Coalition is preparing to set off Friday from the port of Tuzla in western Turkey, where volunteers from civil society organizations representing 12 countries from around the world will participate.
Media reports reported on Thursday that the flotilla aims to break the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by the Zionist enemy and ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid.
The flotilla, supervised by the Turkish Relief Foundation and the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, includes a diverse group of volunteers coming from different parts of the world.
This diversity includes doctors, thinkers, journalists, and human rights activists, which reflects the global nature of the initiative and the broad support it enjoys.
Philip Lopez, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's media coordinator, said in a statement to al Jazeera Network, "We have ensured that all the technical standards and equipment necessary to launch the Freedom Flotilla towards Gaza on Friday, April 26, have been achieved."
Lopez continued "Today, the new participants are undergoing extensive training on direct peaceful action, in preparation for this important mission."
Lopez pointed out that the fleet contains more than five thousand tons of food and medical aid and drinking water to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
He explained that work is now underway to "transfer the boats to a port in Istanbul to complete all official procedures and facilitate the process of participants boarding the fleet by Friday morning."
Lopez quoted a member of the campaign’s executive committee, Zohar Chamberlain Regev, as saying “The Freedom Flotilla receives broad support from millions of people around the world who denounce their governments’ failure to protect the Palestinians and prevent the genocide committed by Israel, including the starvation of the Palestinian people. This prompts us to demand that the governments of the flotilla’s participants by assuming their international legal responsibilities and putting pressure on Israel to ensure that the flotilla can safely reach Gaza.”
Zaher Birawi, head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza and a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Alliance, also revealed that such a step represents the first start of launching the flotilla from several countries.
He explained that the ships were equipped with the latest logistical technologies to ensure the safety of participants and humanitarian aid, in preparation for any possible confrontation with the Zionist enemy forces.
Birawi stressed that the fleet is transporting international solidarity from the capitals of the world to the sea in an attempt to stop the war and provide support to the people of Gaza, expressing his hope to achieve the desired goals and break the siege.
He also revealed that there are ongoing diplomatic and security attempts by some countries to stop the movement, but he stressed that the determination of activists and heads of humanitarian institutions will overcome these challenges.
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