Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Joins Aid Ship Sailing to Gaza
Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham and other 10 activists set sail on June 1 afternoon for Gaza on a ship aimed at “breaking Israel’s siege” of the devastated territory, organizers have said.
The sailing boat Madleen, operated by activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departed from the Sicilian port of Catania, in southern Italy.
It will try to reach the shores of the Gaza Strip in an effort to bring in some aid and raise “international awareness” over the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the activists said at a press conference ahead of departure.
“We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying,” Thunberg said, bursting into tears during her speech.
“Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it’s not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide,” she added.
Among those joining the crew of the Madleen are actor Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent. She has been barred from entering Israel due to her active opposition to the Israeli assault on Gaza.
Speaking to Türkiye’s private broadcaster NTV, Turkish activist Yasemin Acar, another member of the team, said, “We come from different parts of the world, but we are here for one purpose: To be the voice of the Palestinian people.”
The activists expect to take seven days to get to their destination, if they are not stopped.
Thunberg, who became an internationally famous climate activist after organizing massive teen protests in her native Sweden, had been due to board a previous Freedom Flotilla ship, the “Conscience,” last month.
The vessel was attacked by two alleged drones while sailing in international waters off the coast of Malta.
The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship, in the latest confrontation over efforts to send assistance to the Palestinian territory devastated by nearly 19 months of war.
In mid-May, Israel slightly eased its blockade of Gaza after nearly three months, allowing a limited amount of humanitarian aid into the territory.
U.N. agencies and major aid groups say Israeli restrictions, the breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting make it extremely difficult to deliver aid to Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians.
Source: HDN
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