Alwaght - Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a flotilla planned to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza by Israel regime, announced on 29 June that it had lost contact with Swedish ship Marianne of Gothenburg en route to the Gaza.
The leading ship of four-ship flotilla was approximately 105 nautical miles from Palestinian territorial waters , 31° 43' North, 32° 33' East expected, that three military vessels who identified themselves as Israeli regime navy intercepted them.
The ship was expected its destination, besieged costal enclave of Gaza Strip, within the next 24 hours. According to Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s latest contact with the “Marianne” was at 2AM (Gaza time).
As the Israeli regime navy has engaged the vessel, boarded and searched it, the Coalition in a statement publicized that at this moment the three sailing boats accompanying and supporting the Marianne, Rachel, Vittorio and Juliano II, are changing their course and will be heading back to their ports of origin.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition statement reads that "We demand that our respective governments act with humanity and to ensure the safety of all of the delegates on board the Marianne". Calling on the Israel regime to lift the inhuman blockade on 1.8 million Gazans the Marianne, Freedom Flotilla Coalition urged the regime to let the ship reach its destination in order to deliver its cargo of dignity and hope. "We urge all international organizations to work towards opening the port of Gaza to let people and products travel freely to the world. Our destination remains the conscience of humanity," statement reads.
In 2010 flotilla II, consisted of six ships that left from Turkey towards the Gaza Strip, was raided by Israeli regime in which ten activists were killed on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship.
One year later, the second flotilla, Stay Human, also failed to carry out its mission.
In 2007, Israel imposed a complete air, ground, and maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip, preventing goods and people from going in and out. The crippling siege has caused a serious decline in Gazans' standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty for the Palestinian enclave's 1.8 million residents, which has been described by media as the world's largest open-air prison.
