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Europe's Hope Fleet gets ready to break siege of Gaza


The Free Gaza Movement will again challenge Israel's illegal closure of the Gaza Strip and collective punishment of its civilian population by sailing the HOPE FLEET, a flotilla of passenger and cargo ships, to Gaza at the end of May 2009 - to be followed by freedom riders this summer. We are turning to you, our friends & supporters, to help make Hope come alive. Our small yet committed group has already made five successful voyages to Gaza, delivering needed human rights workers & humanitarian supplies, taking out Palestinian students and medical patients, and helping to lessen Gaza's terrible isolation from the world. We are confident that with the universal outrage over Israel's massacres in Gaza we will be able to send a flotilla of ships to shatter the siege and deliver a message of international hope and solidarity to the people of Palestine.

March 30th, 2009 marks the BDS (Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions) Global Day of Action against Israeli violence [1]. Responsible BDS actions were used to end apartheid in South Africa. Today, Israeli policies of racism, ethnic cleansing and the brutal military occupation of Palestine demand equally determined & direct action to overcome them. When our governments fail to act, we - the citizens of the world - must stand up and make our voices heard. Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights grants all people the right to leave and return to their own country - a right that Israel summarily denies Palestinians.

We are looking for ships wishing to join the Hope Fleet and sail to Gaza in late May, and we are looking for high-profile people, including parliamentarians and celebrities, who want to join us and demand that a besieged Gaza cannot forever remain an open-air prison with no access to the world. The Free Gaza Movement will continue to challenge Israel's brutal policies. We will go to Gaza again, and again, and again, until the Israeli siege is broken and the people of Gaza have access to the rest of the world.

If you are interested in joining or supporting this action, please email Iristulip@gmail.com. We will begin collecting names and information as we ready for this historic voyage. With your help, we will make the HOPE FLEET a reality.

From the Palestine News Network

Rami Abdu, coordinator of a convoy "Hope,” said that 10 ambulances will be part of a convoy that also includes dozens of trucks loaded with humanitarian and medical assistance, particularly for those with special needs, in coordination with the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Abdu said in a statement today, “Fully equipped ambulances will participate in the European convoy bound for Gaza.” Danish, Swedish and French associations are providing the ambulances and medical needs for two Palestinian hospitals.

He pointed out that the “ambulances and aid trucks which will participate in the convoy will head toward the Italian city of Milan from where it will launch on a large cargo ship to the port of Alexandria in Egypt and then to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing.”

Wheelchairs for hundreds of the Palestinians wounded and disabled during the major Israeli attacks are included in the convoy as well as equipment for the visually impaired and the deaf. A high level of doctors and consultants will also join the convoy.

Rami Abdu added that preparations are still underway while a large number of European parliamentarians and officials are expected to participate.

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