Planning & International Cooperation Bureau Welcomes Ship to Break Siege on Gaza

July 9, 2023

The Planning & International Cooperation Bureau in Gaza welcomes the Freedom Fleet Alliance’s announcement to launch a cruise trip with the aim of breaking the siege on Gaza. A ship, named “Hanzala,” is expected to depart from the English port of Liverpool and visit several European capitals. The objective is to shed light on the suffering of the people of Gaza under the oppressive blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007 and to increase pressure on European governments to fulfill their duty in breaking the siege.

The blockade has cast a catastrophic shadow over the Gaza Strip, where children, women, and the elderly constitute the majority of its population. Currently, 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, while 47% suffer from unemployment. Additionally, 80% of families rely on international aid for their livelihoods. Furthermore, Gazans are deprived of their basic rights, including freedom of movement, resulting in limited access to healthcare and education.

In addition to being a humanitarian and ethical crime, the blockade constitutes a clear violation of international laws and treaties, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention. This convention explicitly prohibits collective punishment and obligates the occupying authorities not to take any measures that restrict the movement of medical and humanitarian supplies from reaching the occupied areas. Moreover, Article 6 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court indicates that intentionally starving civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival also constitutes a form of genocide.

While we commend the initiative of the Freedom Fleet Alliance, we call on all freedom-loving people worldwide to double their efforts to break the unjust blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for over 16 years. We urge them to shed light on the suffering of over two million individuals, mostly women and children. We also call upon the international community, United Nations institutions, and the governments of the “free world” to fulfill their duties by addressing the Gaza blockade as a war crime that warrants punishment and accountability. Additionally, the Planning & International Cooperation Bureau calls on European governments to facilitate the passage of the ship “Hanzala” through their ports and provide all necessary facilitations to enable it to carry out its noble humanitarian mission.

Planning & International Cooperation Bureau

                     Gaza – Palestine