On Sunday, 13 July, the Handala ship departed the Italian port of Syracuse, carrying a powerful message of resistance and solidarity against Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza. Zaher Birawi, head of the International Committee to Break the Israeli Siege, described the vessel as “small in size but grand in its message,” symbolising defiance against global silence and government complicity in Gaza’s suffering.

Part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Handala seeks not only to deliver aid but to send a strong political and media statement against the normalization of Gaza’s siege. Birawi emphasised that despite previous seizures and arrests of solidarity activists, their commitment remains unwavering. “We will continue launching these ships regardless of the risks,” he affirmed, insisting that silence in the face of such crimes is the greatest danger.

The ship is named after Handala, the iconic Palestinian symbol of steadfastness created by Naji al-Ali, a ten-year-old refugee child with his back turned to an indifferent world. This image reflects the enduring resilience of Palestinians, forced into exile yet unbroken.

Since October 2023, the Israeli assault on Gaza, backed by the US, has devastated the territory, killing tens of thousands, displacing hundreds of thousands, and starving the population under a crippling blockade. The Handala’s voyage is thus far more than a maritime journey; it is a call to humanity to act against injustice, to break the siege, and to demand an end to the ongoing genocide.