![Crew of Handala vessel seen sailing in the port of Gallipoli after a press point, the vessel "Handala" of Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed from Gallipoli Port, in Italy, on 20 July 2025, to reach Gaza for delivering humanitarian aid and breaking the Israeli blockade. [Valeria Ferraro - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AA-20250720-38611381-38611362-DEPARTURE_OF_HANDALA_VESSEL_IN_GALLIPOLI_ITALY.jpg)
Zaher Birawi, the head of the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza and a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, said that the coalition’s “small ships” have caused a “major shock” in the global conscience. He noted that several international organizations have expressed their willingness to cooperate with the coalition to send dozens of ships to Gaza in the coming months. In a special statement to Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Birawi said: “What happened with the Handala ship, when the occupation forces stormed it, took it to the port of Ashdod, and arrested the 21 activists on board, was expected. We have become accustomed to Israel’s crimes and its violations of international law.” “What happened was an act of […]
