One month after Israeli naval forces intercepted the vessel "Madleen" carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg, the "Freedom Flotilla to Gaza" organization announced Monday that another humanitarian ship will attempt to reach Gaza on July 13.
The organization stated that the vessel would depart Syracuse port in Sicily this coming Sunday with "volunteers, doctors, lawyers, social justice activists, and journalists" aboard. The announcement provides no specific information about the participants' identities.
The ship carries the name "Handala," referencing the cartoon character of a refugee child that became an iconic symbol of the Palestinian cause throughout the Arab world.
The upcoming voyage follows two previous flotilla attempts that captured international attention. The first involved the "celebrity ship" Madleen with Thunberg aboard, while the second featured the vessel "Mizfon," which was intercepted in early May after sustaining unclear damage near Malta's coastline. The activists aboard "Mizfon" blamed Israel for an aerial assault.
