Chapter One: The Launch of the Humanitarian Scream
On July 13, 2025, the old fishing boat "Handala"—built in 1968—set sail from the Italian port of Syracuse, carrying 21 international activists from the United States, Norway, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and France. Among them were French MP Gabrielle Catala and her European Parliament colleague Emma Forn, reporter Mohammed Al-Baqali, and Palestinian-American activist Howayda Arraf. The name "Handala" was chosen in honor of the Palestinian symbol created by artist Naji al-Ali in 1969—a child with his back to the world as a symbol of rejection of injustice. The ship was a living embodiment of this spirit.
The ship carried only simple children's toys, food, and medicine, but its true cargo was the hope of breaking the 17-year Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the flotilla organizers, this was the 36th such attempt since 2008, the last time a ship successfully broke the blockade.
Chapter Two: In the Heart of the Mediterranean... Challenge and Confrontation
After repairing technical faults at the Gallipoli port, the Handala continued sailing on July 20, broadcasting its movements live on YouTube in a move to challenge international silence. As it approached Egyptian territorial waters on July 24, Israeli threats began to escalate:
- Israeli drones hovered over the ship, while the Israeli Navy announced the readiness of the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit to intervene.
- Activist Jacob Berger (the Jewish-American actor on board) asserted: "We are heading toward genocide... We cannot remain silent." On July 26, the activists announced an open-ended hunger strike if the ship was intercepted, chanting, "We will not accept food from a force that starves the children of Gaza."
Chapter Three: The Dark Night... The Storming in International Waters
On the evening of July 27, in complete darkness, the Israeli military carried out the storming operation:
1. Cut off all communications from the ship, including GPS and the internet, leaving it in the dark of the sea amid a state of terror.
2. Naval commandos stormed the ship from international waters, violating international maritime law.
3. The activists described the moments as a "nightmare," but Howayda Araf emphasized, "We felt strong because we were defending the humanity of the world."
Chapter Four: Captivity in Ashdod: Strike and Refusal
On July 28, the "Handala" was docked at the Israeli port of Ashdod, where:
- 11 activists are still being held, including those who have begun a hunger strike, while those with Israeli citizenship have been released.
- Huwaida Araf refused to sign a "pledge of non-return" or acknowledge the "charge of illegal entry," saying, "Israel has no right to prevent us from entering Gaza."
- The Israeli human rights organization Adalah sent lawyers to the port, but authorities prevented them from meeting the detainees.
Chapter Five: Global Repercussions: Between Condemnation and Responsibility
After the Israeli military stormed the humanitarian ship "Handala" in international waters, international and regional reactions escalated, ranging from strong condemnations to calls for urgent action, with Israeli attempts to justify the operation. The most prominent of these positions are:
1. Official and popular Palestinian condemnations:
- The Gaza government: described the raid as "a new crime of maritime piracy" and a flagrant violation of international law and maritime regulations. It held the occupation fully responsible for the safety of the activists, calling on the international community to provide protection for the humanitarian convoys.
- The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine: condemned the operation in the "strongest terms," describing it as a new episode of "the deliberate targeting of any voice exposing war crimes in Gaza."
2. Legal and human rights responses:
- The International Committee to Break the Siege: confirmed that the interception occurred in international waters (40 miles from Gaza), which constitutes a "clear violation of international maritime law." It emphasized that the ship was carrying purely civilian humanitarian aid.
- Adalah (Israel): sent lawyers to the port of Ashdod to demand access to the detainees, but Israeli authorities prevented them.
- Anne Wright (Freedom Flotilla Steering Member): She described the detention as "arbitrary and illegal," noting that Israel has no legal authority to detain international civilians in international waters.
3. European Political Pressure:
- Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Leader of La France Insoumise): Described the raid as a "kidnapping in international waters" and called on the French government to intervene immediately to protect the activists, especially the two French MPs, Emma Forot and Gabrielle Katella, who were on board the ship.
- The detained activists released video messages before the connection was cut off, calling on their countries to pressure for their release.
4. Israeli Claims and Justifications:
- The Israeli Foreign Ministry claimed in a statement that the ship had attempted to enter a "restricted maritime zone" near Gaza, describing its mission as "illegal and undermining humanitarian efforts," and asserting that the passengers were "well."
- The Israeli military rejected the condemnations, claiming that the operation was carried out "in accordance with political directives" to protect the naval blockade.
5. International Influence and Calls for Action:
- Freedom Flotilla Coalition: revealed that the attack on the Handala was the third this year, following the attacks on the Addameer and Madeleine ships, demonstrating a pattern of systematic abuses.
- Jewish activists on board: such as Jacob Berger, who emphasized that their presence aimed to "break the global silence" on the genocide in Gaza, highlighting the unity of international voices from diverse backgrounds against the blockade.
Summary of the Implications:
Double Standards: The operation exposed the contradiction in the international position, as human rights organizations condemned the violation while Western countries took no concrete action.
- Escalation of Nonviolent Resistance: Despite failing to reach Gaza, "Handala" turned the world's attention to the deliberate famine that caused the deaths of six Palestinians, including two children, in just 24 hours.
- The Future of the Convoys: Renewed calls for "continued journeys" until the blockade is broken, as embodied by French activist Gabrielle Katella's tweet: "Think of the Palestinians... Their suffering is worse than our dangers."
Conclusion: When Failure Becomes a Legacy
Despite "Handala's" failure to reach Gaza, her journey created a legacy:
- It exposed the international double standards in dealing with the Israeli blockade, especially with the worsening famine that has caused the deaths of more than 70 Palestinians, including children.
- She emphasized that peaceful resistance is an effective means of exposing violations, drawing the world's attention to the suffering of 2.3 million Palestinians.
- She became a new symbol added to the Freedom Flotilla, reminding the world that "Handala," the steadfast child, still lives on in the conscience of humanity.
> "We were not afraid... Israel is the one who fears our voices, because we represent the world's humanity."
> — Howayda Arraf, activist on board the ship
Today, while the passengers of the "Handala" are detained in Ashdod, their ship is becoming a beacon illuminating the path of new convoys. As the organizers of the voyage said: "This is not an ordinary voyage... it is a cry in the face of the world's silence."