This morning we have joined activists of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition in a Press Conference about their mission “For the Children of Gaza”. After more than two years and three months sailing through European ports, the Freedom Flotilla boat “Handala” arrived in Malta on Tuesday.
From Malta, “Handala” will continue on its mission sailing towards Gaza.
Over the past 10 months, Israel’s brutal aggression has caused unprecedented slaughter, destruction, and despair. Since October 2023, Israel has been waging a war on children, using bombs, missiles, bullets and, according to UN officials, also starvation as a weapon of war. UNICEF reports that this situation is causing severe malnutrition and leading to famine.
More than 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed, while Gaza’s infrastructure has been razed to the ground, and humanitarian aid has been blocked. Daily, scores of Palestinians are killed by indiscriminate bombings, hunger, and disease.
However, Israel’s assault on Gaza did not begin last October. For 76 years, Israel’s colonization of Palestinian land has taken many forms. Before evolving into the current phase of full-blown genocide, Israel imposed a brutal military occupation on Gaza, transforming this small strip of land – only slightly larger than Malta and home to 2.5 million Palestinians – into an open-air prison. For the past 17 years, Israel has enforced a suffocating blockade of Gaza by land, air, and sea, while regularly bombing and killing those trapped inside.
For 14 years, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition has sailed to Gaza, seeking to break this illegal siege and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid. They have faced Israel’s deadly violence multiple times, most tragically in 2010, when Israeli soldiers stormed their boat in international waters, shooting several activists and killing ten.
Despite these attacks, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition remains undeterred, sailing for freedom and demonstrating the unwavering value of international solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The Freedom Flotilla mission “For the Children of Gaza” began in April 2023, visiting ports in various European countries and holding events with the “Handala”’s crew and participants from more than a dozen countries. They have constantly emphasised the complicity of European, US and other governments in this ongoing genocide.
As we proudly support the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition during their stay in Malta, we reiterate our heartfelt call for an end to the genocide, an end to the siege and occupation, and justice for the Palestinian people.
Organisations participating in the Press Conference:
Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition
Moviment Graffitti
Embassy of Palestine in Malta
Youth for Palestine
Watermelon Warriors
Ġustizzja mal-Palestina
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“Għat-Tfal ta’ Gaża” – Attivisti Maltin jilqgħu lill-Freedom Flotilla Coalition li tinsab fi triqitha lejn Gaża
Dalgħodu ngħaqadna mal-attivisti tal-Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition f’Konferenza Stampa dwar il-missjoni tagħhom “Għat-Tfal ta’ Gaża”. Wara aktar minn sentejn u tliet xhur ta’ tbaħħir bejn portijiet differenti fl-Ewropa, id-dgħajsa tal-Freedom Flotilla “Handala” waslet f’Malta nhar it-Tlieta.
Minn Malta, “Handala” se tkompli fir-rotta tagħha lejn Gaża.
Tul dawn l-aħħar 10 xhur, l-aggressjoni brutali tal-Iżrael ikkawżat qtil, qerda, u miżerja bla preċedent. Minn Ottubru 2023, l-Iżrael infexx fi gwerra kontra t-tfal, bl-użu ta’ bombi, missili, balel u, skont l-uffiċjali tal-UN, anke l-ġuħ bħala tattika tal-gwerra. L-UNICEF tirrapporta li din is-sitwazzjoni qed tikkawża malnutrizzjoni severa u qed twassal għall-karestija.
Aktar minn 40,000 Palestinjan, il-biċċa l-kbira tagħhom nisa u tfal, sfaw maqtula, filwaqt li l-infrastruttura ta’ Gaża ġiet meqruda għalkollox, u l-għajnuna umanitarja ġiet imblukkata. Ta’ kuljum, għadd kbir ta’ Palestinjani qed jiġu maqtula b’bumbardamenti bl-addoċċ, bil-ġuħ, u bil-mard.
Madankollu, l-attakk tal-Iżrael fuq Gaża ma bediex f’Ottubru li għadda. Għal 76 sena, il-kolonizzazzjoni mill-Iżrael tal-art Palestinjana ħadeti suriet differenti. Qabel ma għadda għall-ġenoċidju sħiħ li għaddej bħalissa, l-Iżrael kien impona okkupazzjoni militari ħarxa fuq Gaża, u ttrasforma din l-istrixxa żgħira t’art — li hija biss ftit ikbar minn Malta u li fiha joqogħdu 2.5 miljun Palestinjan — f’ħabs miftuħ. Għal dawn l-aħħar 17-il sena, l-Iżrael inforza imblokk soffokanti fuq Gaża mill-art, is-sema, u l-baħar, filwaqt li regolarment kien jibbumbardja u joqtol lil dawk maqbuda hemmhekk.
Għal 14-il sena sħaħ, il-Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition baħħret lejn Gaża biex tipprova twaqqaf dan l-assedju illegali u twassal għajnuna umanitarja tant bżonnjuża. Huma ġew wiċċ imb wiċċ mal-qilla brutali Iżraeljana diversi drabi, bl-aktar mod traġiku fl-2010, meta suldati Iżraeljani kienu telgħu fuq id-dgħajsa tagħhom f’ibħra internazzjonali u sparaw fuq diversi attivisti, b’għaxra minnhom jispiċċaw maqtula.
Minkejja dawn l-attakki li ġarrbet, il-Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition tibqa’ soda biex tilħaq l-għan tagħha, u tkompli tbaħħar f’isem il-ħelsien u sservi ta’ xbiha tal-valur ta’ solidarjetà internazzjonali mal-poplu Palestinjan.
Il-missjoni Freedom Flotilla “Għat-Tfal ta’ Gaża” bdiet f’April 2023, u żaret portijiet f’diversi pajjiżi Ewropej, filwaqt li wettqet attivitajiet mal-ekwipaġġ tal-“Handala” u parteċipanti minn aktar minn 12-il pajjiż. Huma dejjem enfasizzaw il-kompliċità ta’ gvernijiet Ewropej, tal-gvern Amerikan, u gvernijiet oħra f’dan il-ġenoċidju li jinsab għaddej bħalissa.
Filwaqt li ninsabu kburin li qed nappoġġjaw lill-Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition fil-waqfa tagħhom f’Malta, nerġgħu ntennu s-sejħa tagħna għall-waqfien tal-ġenoċidju, għall-waqfien tal-assedju u l-okkupazzjoni, u għall-ġustizzja għall-poplu Palestinjan.
Għaqdiet li qed jipparteċipaw fil-Konferenza Stampa:
Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition
Moviment Graffitti
L-Ambaxxata għall-Palestina f’Malta
Youth for Palestine
Watermelon Warriors
Ġustizzja mal-Palestina
