Handala II continues voyage toward Gaza ahead of Global Sumud Flotilla mission

The ship departed Malmö in southern Sweden on May 14 as part of the Sail to Gaza project, led by civil society groups from Sweden, Norway and Denmark. It is expected to join the Global Sumud Flotilla heading toward Gaza in September.

Janette Escanilla, the project’s representative in Sweden, said Handala II completed its tour of Swedish ports on June 15 and is now sailing toward the Norwegian and Danish coasts.

The vessel is expected to remain at a port in southern Denmark until the end of July before continuing through the Mediterranean in preparation for the international maritime mission to Gaza.

Escanilla said the ship would first join the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which has organized civilian maritime campaigns for years in support of Palestinians and to demand an end to Gaza’s blockade.

She said the initiative’s main objective was to break the siege, while stopping at Scandinavian ports was intended to keep international attention focused on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

Organizers hope the peaceful campaign will pressure their governments to take practical steps to help end Israel’s genocide in Gaza, she added.

Escanilla said Handala II was carrying a message of solidarity and hope to Palestinians and called for an end to double standards in the international response to the Palestinian cause.

According to the Sail to Gaza initiative, the project has operated since 2009 in solidarity with Gaza’s population and forms part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

On May 18, Israeli forces attacked 50 vessels belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean and detained all 428 activists onboard, who came from 44 countries, carrying out a humanitarian mission to deliver aid to Gaza.