"Break the Siege" Mission Fact Sheet
Information as of 2024-08-08
- How many vessels are part of the “Break the Siege” mission?
- There are at least three confirmed ships. One large cargo ship and two passenger ships.
- How many passengers will be on board?
- None of us are passengers — Those on board who are not crew are participants. Participants are there to observe and assist in the delivery of the aid and its distribution. Several hundred participants from dozens of countries came to Istanbul in April 2024 ready for the flotilla’s departure. That departure date was postponed bureaucratically by the country of Guinea Bissau under whose flag flotilla ships sailed. Hundreds of participants have been ready to sail again but again a state has blocked the ships from departing.
- None of us are passengers — Those on board who are not crew are participants. Participants are there to observe and assist in the delivery of the aid and its distribution. Several hundred participants from dozens of countries came to Istanbul in April 2024 ready for the flotilla’s departure. That departure date was postponed bureaucratically by the country of Guinea Bissau under whose flag flotilla ships sailed. Hundreds of participants have been ready to sail again but again a state has blocked the ships from departing.
- Number of countries participating (which ones):
- We had participants from countries including (alphabetically): Algeria, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom, and the United States.
- Why are so many countries represented?
- This is a civil society mission that relies on media coverage and political pressure on countries across the world to exert their influence on Israel to stop its mass murder of Palestinians, mostly women and children. Representation from many countries highlights the solidarity across the world and the need for all countries to insist on Israel ceasing fire and ending its genocide.
- What training will participants have had?
- Participants did and will participate in non-violence training before departure.
- Will there be weapons on board?
- No. We forbid participants and crew from carrying weapons on all our missions. All Freedom Flotilla missions are strictly a non-violent mission.
- Will the flotilla allow Israeli officials to inspect the ship contents, including the humanitarian aid?
- No. We have third parties inspect the ships and participants to ensure no weapons are brought on board. The reason for the current starvation and lack of medical supplies in Gaza is because the international community allows Israel to impede and limit humanitarian aid from entering Gaza under the excuse of inspection. Israel has denied entry of humanitarian aid it deems “dual use” to the point of disallowing scissors, anesthetics, obstetrical surgery kits, water purification tablets, crutches, etc. Israel continues to impede thousands of aid trucks from entering Gaza – we therefore refuse to allow the party that has caused the devastating famine and continues its genocidal actions to be the one to impose a similar restriction on this aid.
- Departure point:
- Ships will depart from ports in the Mediterranean.
- Destination:
- Gaza
- What if Israeli forces do not allow access to Gaza?
- They will be acting in defiance of the International Court of Justice which on 28 March required Israeli forces to stop “preventing, through any action, the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance”.
To reiterate, the purpose of this mission is to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza. If Israel prevents us from reaching Gaza, then that will delay aid getting to Gaza and will empower Israel to slow, impede or even prevent aid from getting to Palestinians in Gaza as it has done with shipments even from its allies via Israeli and Egyptian crossing points.
- They will be acting in defiance of the International Court of Justice which on 28 March required Israeli forces to stop “preventing, through any action, the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance”.
- Do you expect to be able to land in Gaza?
- Again, we are civilians bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. We are doing what is just, humane, and necessary. We do not want our unarmed ships to be attacked but we are well aware of the danger based on our past experiences, but mostly from the genocide Israel is committing as the world watches. We are aware of the recent Israeli targeted killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers and the almost two hundred other humanitarian workers already killed by Israel in the last several months. We wish we did not have to leave our daily lives, jobs and families, but we feel we must act to save our own humanity. If something happens to us then Israel and its allied governments across the world are to blame, especially those that claim to stand for human rights and international law.
- Departure date:
- We will leave when we can. The specific date is not yet public.
- How many journalists (outlets, media outlets)?
- We welcome media from around the world to be aboard reporting in multiple languages.
- Is it risky/dangerous?
- The biggest risk is that our governments don’t act to protect us and the aid. This question is better directed to the US president and other heads of state. What are they doing to prevent Israel from killing and harming civilians, both Palestinians and internationals like us? Facing the Israeli military is risky because our governments continue to provide political immunity for Israel and are complicit with genocide. Nonetheless, the price of doing nothing is greater than the danger of acting for humanity.