Volunteers from 30 countries challenge Israel with an expedition to bring food to Gaza | The truth

On that occasion, hundreds of volunteers tried to break the blockade imposed by Tel Aviv on the Strip to introduce 10,000 tons of food. Before approaching the coast, the Israeli Navy boarded the convoy. The army later argued that its soldiers had been attacked as soon as they set foot on the ships. The NGOs, on the other hand, pointed out that the commandos simply opened fire during the boarding. The confrontation led to a diplomatic conflict with several of the volunteers' countries of origin, which accused Tel Aviv of “terrorism.” The next day, Egypt ordered the Rafah crossing to be opened, ignoring the blockade.

The 2024 flotilla consists of three ships, a cargo ship, a passenger ship and the Akdeniz ferry. The latter is currently located at the Tuzla pier, in the Asian part of Istanbul, and will be the one that will carry the activists who will try to break the Israeli maritime blockade. Among the passengers are veterans of that 2010 experience such as Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian-American lawyer and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), who remembers that “that was horrible, but we have to try again, go to Gaza and deliver our aid to show to Israel that they cannot be the ones to impose the criteria of the aid that can or cannot enter. “We know that they have attacked us in the past and we are prepared for all scenarios.”

Fellipe Lopes is the spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and assures that “we understand that it is dangerous, but we think it is also possible and we need everyone's support so we can get there. “We have doctors, nurses, journalists, lawyers… people from very different branches who come with the sole objective of bringing this help.” Lopes is leading the guided tours for the media on the ship docked in Tuzla. This will be the ship on which the international press will also travel, which will have a special area for his work.

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Technicians put the finishing touches on the Akdeniz ferry and groups of Turkish volunteers load the aid. This expedition has the key support of the Turkish development aid NGO IHH, an Islamist organization linked to the government that has extensive experience in conflict and post-conflict areas and natural disasters. The Turkish volunteers of this organization form the bulk of an expedition in which there is also a significant presence of activists from Europe and the United States.

The headquarters of the activists is the Tugra hotel, very close to the IHH headquarters where peaceful resistance courses are held every day to teach participants how to react in the event of an Israeli boarding. «This trip gives a lot of respect because Israel has no problems ending everything that is put in front of it. My motivation is to help push for an end to the blockade and genocide. In our countries we hold demonstrations and press what we can, but I think this is one more step. “I don't want to get used to seeing two hundred dead every day,” explains Gazteiz activist Pili Revilla, who at 65 years old will have her first experience aboard the flotilla.

Pili is accompanied by Agustín Gorbea, 71, also from Gazteiz, and Mikel Zuluaga, alias Mikelon, a 66-year-old from Bilbao, as Basque representatives of the large delegation arriving from Spain. For Gorbea, “the priority is to break the blockade, bring this aid and, although they may not allow us to arrive, let the complaint be recorded and let them know that there are many of us who do not agree with this genocide. “Gaza is an open-air prison and we cannot allow the international community to let Israel do what it is doing.”

Mikelon listens attentively to his companions at the doors of the Tugra hotel. He has experience in previous flotillas and when asked about his motivation he repeats over and over that he dreams of “breaking the blockade, breaking the blockade and breaking the blockade.” “We are not afraid, although we are aware of who we are facing because they are trigger-happy and that is why we are doing peaceful resistance exercises, so that they do not have the slightest excuse to attack us.”

The cafeteria of this hotel in the Fatih district, very close to the tourist Sultanahmet, is a tower of Babel and greetings are heard in all languages. Many know each other from previous flotillas and embrace each other in hugs when they see each other face to face again, others who arrive for the first time feel the nerves and anxiety before embarking towards Gaza and everyone has the decision to go to the end and be able to deliver aid directly to the Palestinians.

For this flotilla to achieve its objective, it must overcome the almighty Israeli army, which is preparing for the arrival of these three ships. You will also need to obtain exit permission from Turkey, which has not yet arrived. Jewish State Television Channel 12 cast doubt on the departure of the ships from Turkey and said, citing Israeli security sources, that “after having suffered several delays, it could be postponed indefinitely.” This option does not figure in the plans of some very motivated activists to cross the Mediterranean towards a Strip that needs all the help possible after seven months of war and more than 34,000 deaths.

In the Strip they are waiting for any help. The number of Palestinian deaths yesterday exceeded 34,050, especially women and children, while malnutrition has become a cruel reality in the northern half of the territory, where water and all types of health supports are also lacking. The UN has stated this week that $2.6 billion in food and materials are needed to alleviate the catastrophe. Doctors also warn that the death toll curve can grow rapidly, given that the 76,000 wounded that the war has already caused are surviving precariously, barely without medicine or food. Only 266 aid trucks entered Gaza on Thursday.