• ‘If they’re going to attack us, Israel should know that there will be others following behind us,’ says Palestinian-American human rights attorney Arraf
• ‘What we need is countries who have the power to do a lot more to do what we’re doing, and not accept Israel’s blockade,’ says Arraf

ISTANBUL

Under the scorching Mediterranean sun, a small vessel named Handala cuts through the blue waters with a mission far beyond its modest size.

Packed with baby formula, medicine, and toys, the ship is sailing toward Gaza not only to deliver humanitarian aid, but to send a message of defiance to Israel and one of solidarity to its Palestinian victims.

“It is critical that no matter what Israel does to us, we keep going,” Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian-American human rights attorney and one of the activists on board, told Anadolu.

“If they’re going to attack us, Israel should know that there will be others following behind us.”

Arraf is one of 21 passengers aboard the Handala, a repurposed 1968 Norwegian fishing trawler now turned aid ship that is named after a cartoon character symbolizing Palestinian resistance.

The vessel, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, set sail from Italy on July 20, aiming to challenge and break Israel’s long-running blockade of Gaza.

Onboard are participants from 10 countries – lawmakers, journalists, and human rights defenders – united in their call for justice.

“We hope to arrive in Gaza this Sunday … We constitute no threat to Israel, but Israel is threatening to attack us. I hope the whole world puts pressure on Israel to leave this boat alone,” said Arraf.

Speaking in a video interview, she emphasized that the Handala is dedicated to children in Gaza, “being deliberately starved to death” by Israel.

The ship is loaded with as much aid as it can carry, including food, medicine, and baby formula, along with stuffed animals donated by children in Italy.

“This boat really is for the children ... We are a little boat. We have baby formula and stuffed animals for kids who are being traumatized and starved to death and bombed to death,” she said.

Sabotage and threats

Despite the peaceful nature of the mission, Arraf said Israel has threatened to intercept the vessel.

Although there has been no direct contact from Israeli authorities, she said the team faced serious sabotage attempts before departure.

“We do believe that they (Israel) tried to sabotage our mission, in two very serious and dangerous incidents, before we left the port in Italy,” she said.

In one case, she said, a rope was tied around the boat’s propeller. In another, a truck meant to deliver water instead brought sulfuric acid, posing a potential threat to the crew’s safety.

“We are asking for an investigation. We are trying not to jump to conclusions, but Israel had said that it is doing everything it can to stop the flotilla from leaving port. It has not managed to stop us from leaving and now we’ll see what they’ll do.”

Arraf, an organizer with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, acknowledged that the journey itself has been physically taxing.

All these people are out at sea in the hot weather, cramped on a small boat, “knowing that we are going to confront very violent soldiers that are engaged in committing a genocide,” she said.

But despite the fear, anxiety, and discomfort, their spirits are still high, she added.

Israel’s ‘violence is not going to stop us’

This is not the first time Israel has targeted the Freedom Flotilla. Last month, Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen, detaining 12 activists, including Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, and climate activist Greta Thunberg.

In May, the Conscience ship was attacked by drones in international waters near Malta, an assault widely attributed to Israel.

Arraf said such actions were not new. “We’ve been kidnapped before, because Israel always takes us from international waters where it has no jurisdiction,” she said.

“We’ve had 10 of our comrades killed in international waters for simply trying to reach the people of Gaza,” she added, referencing the deadly 2010 Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara vessel.

Despite the risks, the activists remain resolute: “For us, our message to Israel is that their violence is not going to stop us, because they want us to accept a world where this kind of ugly, brutal violence is accepted, and international law is broken and trampled on.”

“That’s a world where nobody is safe. Today it’s Palestinians in Gaza, tomorrow it can be anyone.”

Arraf said the recent Madleen mission inspired hope and belief in people. “Now we have groups all over the world organizing … For years it has been us, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, but now so many more organizations are working to do the same, as it should be,” she said.

“I can tell you that people all over the world are mobilizing, so you will see more boats.”

Global movement for Gaza

Arraf sees the Handala not just as a supply ship but as part of a growing global movement to break the Israeli siege.

“It is a crime against humanity, and it is being used now to engineer a famine ... We’re seeing babies starve to death,” she said.

“Nobody should accept this, but words are not enough. We have to directly challenge the blockade, and this is what this little boat is doing.”

Arraf also issued a clear appeal to governments: “What we need is international mobilization. What we need is countries who have the power to do a lot more to do what we’re doing, and not accept Israel’s blockade.

“You have the power to sanction Israel … and the resources to send aid that you know should get into Gaza.”