TUNIS, Tunisia/ISTANBUL 

A Tunisian man has donated his rare boat to the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip, saying he is prepared to sail it to help break an Israeli blockade of the enclave.

“The boat is very dear to me, but everything is worth sacrificing for Gaza and Palestine,” Houssameddine bin Taher said in a video circulated on social media.

Bin Taher said he decided to join the effort to break the Israeli siege after learning about the Gaza-bound flotilla.

“While browsing Facebook, I came across an article about the flotilla. I told myself that if I don’t take part, it will remain a mark of shame on my forehead,” he said.

He noted that he owns “everything needed to participate in the flotilla,” describing his decision as a duty.

Bin Taher said his boat, purchased in 2021, is one of only 11 models worldwide.

“For the sake of supporting the Palestinian cause, everything is worth sacrificing,” he said. “The most precious legacy I can leave my children is that I fought for truth, for freedom, and for Palestine and Gaza. That is the greatest lesson I can pass on to them.”

In an emotional statement, he said: “If I could give my life, I would have given it to a small child from Gaza.”

The flotilla vessels will officially set sail Sept. 10 from Sidi Bou Said Port in the nation’s capital of Tunis.

Nearly 20 ships departed Barcelona late last month as part of the flotilla, followed by another convoy from Genoa, Italy, earlier this week. A third flotilla was scheduled to sail from Tunisia on Wednesday before continuing toward Gaza to break the choking siege.

The mission brings together the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Global Gaza Movement, the Sumud Convoy and Malaysia’s Nusantara Solidarity group.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported Aug. 22 that famine had taken hold in northern Gaza and warned it could spread as Israel’s blockade continues.

The Israeli genocidal war in Gaza entered day 700 on Friday, with Israel having killed at least 64,300 Palestinians. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.