Following Israel's Assault on Gaza, 'Freedom Flotilla' to Sail Against Siege

Following Israel’s latest military assault on Gaza, civil society groups from around the world say they are moving forward with plans to break the blockade on this besieged strip by sailing a “freedom flotilla” into Gaza Port.

At a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey this week, the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and numerous other groups came to the conclusion that “it is the responsibility of civil society worldwide to sail to Gaza,” according to a press statement. They committed to making the voyage during 2014, which has been coined by the United Nations as the “International Year of Solidarity With the Palestinian People.”

While the group did not publicly disclose a launch location or date, they announced that they expect participation from civil society organizations across the globe — from Greece to South Africa to Jordan to Malaysia—as a counter to “the complicity of world governments” in the blockade on Gaza.

“Calls to end the blockade of Gaza need to move from words to actions,” said Ann Ighe, chairperson of Ship to Gaza and member of the FFC. “We invite all interested citizens worldwide to participate in this initiative in any way you can.”

Israel’s month-long military assault on Gaza, currently stalled by a tenuous ceasefire, has left at least 1,939 Palestinians dead, 9,886 wounded, over 200,000 displaced, and more than 10,000 Palestinian housing units destroyed or severely damaged. United Nations officials estimate that at least three-fourths of Palestinians killed in Gaza are civilians and one third are children.