Handala begins final leg of its journey to Gaza
Hanzalah, (حنظلہ) or Handala, the new aid ship launched by Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), Sunday July 20, 2025 began the final leg of its journey to Gaza from Gallipoli in Italy
Gallipoli (Italy): Hanzalah, (حنظلہ) or Handala, the new aid ship launched by Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), Sunday July 20, 2025 began the final leg of its journey to Gaza from Gallipoli in Italy.
The latest Gaza aid ship, Handala, had started its mission from the Sicily port on July 13, 2025.
Handala was the target of two deeply alarming incidents that appear to be deliberate sabotage intended to obstruct our mission and harm our crew Just hours before launching, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said.
Sabotage Attempts
The organisers and activists on board found a rope tightly wound around the boat’s propeller on the night of July 19 or early morning July 20.
The organisers while calling in an attempt to stop the flotilla from sailing forward, said, "This could not have occurred through normal use or by accident. It was a direct threat to the safety of our vessel and its ability to sail."
In the second incident on the same day, the organisers found the truck sent to deliver fresh water to the Gaza aid ship for washing and cooking on the journey, carried not water, but sulfuric acid.
"It (acid) splashed on a crew member’s leg, causing chemical burns. Another crew member who smelled the substance and opened the container sustained burns to his hand", the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said.
The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza condemned the sabotage attempts and called on the international community to guarantee the vessel’s safe passage and prevent any acts of “Israeli piracy”.
The Handala flotilla, packed with medical and humanitarian aid aimed at challenging the illegal blockade of Gaza by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IFD).
The Handala aid flotilla has been launched more than a month after Madleen flotilla was illegally seized by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IDF) few kms from Gaza.
Why Handala?
The Madleen aid ship was named after the first Palestinian fisherwman Madleen Kulab. On the other hand, Handala or Hanzala has been named after the Palestinian caricature Handala—a barefoot refugee child who turned his back on injustice and vowed not to turn around until Palestine is free, the coalition said.
The character was created in 1969 by political cartoonist Naji al-Ali, and first took its current form in 1973. Handala became the signature of Naji al-Ali's cartoons and remains an iconic symbol of Palestinian identity and defiance.
The Handala aid flotilla is dedicated to the children of Gaza.
“The boat carries his spirit, and that of every child in Gaza who has been denied safety, dignity, and joy”, the coalition said.
Dedicated to Gaza Children
In 2023 and 2024, Handala sailed to ports across Europe and the UK, breaking through the media blockade, engaging the public, and building solidarity through press events, art installations, and political education in every port it visited.
“The children of Gaza—who make up over half the population—have been living under a brutal blockade and siege for their entire lives. Since October 2023, over 50,000 have been killed or injured, tens of thousands orphaned, and nearly a million forcibly displaced and homeless. All now face famine, disease, and trauma few of us can imagine. This mission is for them”, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said.
Who are aboard Handala aid ship?
Chris Smalls, founder of Amazon’s first U.S. labor union, has announced he will join the journey aboard the Handala aid ship.
Handala will make a stop at Gallipoli in southeastern Italy, where two members of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI), Gabrielle Cathala and Emma Fourreau, have announced to join the latest Gaza flotilla.
“This is a mission for the children in Gaza, to break the humanitarian blockade and to break the summer silence on the genocide,” said Cathala, who is set to board the boat on July 18.
Also Read: Hanzala Gaza Aid Ship: A Symbol, A Message
Also onboard the Hanzalah aid flotilla is 70-year-old Vigdis Bjorvand, a Palestine activist since 1978.
Besides them a number of activists, lawyers, doctors, social justice activists and journalists are also sailing towards Gaza onboard the Hanzalah Gaza aid flotilla.
"We are not governments. We are people taking action where institutions have failed", those onboard said.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has partnered with Forensic Architecture and equipped the Handala with an advanced tracking system.
"This technology plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of those on board, maintaining transparency about the vessel’s location, and holding potential aggressors accountable for their actions", the coalition said.
[All images provided by Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).]
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