Doctors and journalists on broken to Gaza: a new floralla has started from Italy to break the naval blockage

Not everyone knows it, but from September 25, another small procession of boats has started to sail the Mediterranean, towards Gaza. The first to leave were the smallest, just about ten meters long. Then, from Catania, eight more sailed.

Finally, on 30 September from Otranto, the “conscience” explained the sails, a ship of 68 meters for years symbol of civil resistance, while today also the Marinette (the last of the Sumud) was intercepted.

A new flotilla, therefore, which however does not arise from nothing: it is the result of a joint project between the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which for years has navigated to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, and Thousand Madleen.

Their goal is clear: to meet in Crete and continue together to the Strip, bringing with it not only 18 tons of humanitarian aid, but also a hundred doctors, nurses and journalists. Not only bread and medicines, but hands to cure and voices to tell.

Because in that land under siege, health and information have become weapons to be broken.

Israel systematically affects health workers and reporters – explains Michele Borgia, Italian spokesman for the Flotilla. The former are eliminated to leave the wounded without care. The latter to make the silence drop on what is happening.

The stories of the boats already tell a small piece of humanity alone. The first, once called Brucaliffo, was renamed today At the Awda – “The return” – Word that contains the memory of the Palestinians forced to leave their land in 1948. The Italian owner, Dario Pasquale, did not limit himself to donating it: he decided to bring it to Gaza himself.”

Another boat, the lady j, now Ghassan Kanafani In honor of the Palestinian journalist and writer assassinated in ’72, it was sold halfway by its French owner, who chose to join the crew.

The boats travel slowly, 4-5 knots, along the Greek coasts. They will reunite under Crete and then face the last part of the journey to Gaza together. The faster conscience will reach them in a few days.

His presence is full of symbols: this ship belongs to the Mavi Marmara Foundation, born with compensation to the families of the 10 activists killed during the assault on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara In 2010. That massacre shook the world and today the Conscience returns to the sea as heir of that battle, after being hit in May by two drones in international waters. This is not a military mission, but a civil, courageous, deeply human act.

He will not solve the conflict alone, no, not even her. But – like a pebble launched into the tin – it serves to break the silence, to move consciences, to remind the governments that the time of complicity is over.