On Wednesday evening, the long awaited Women’s Boat to Gaza set sail from Barcelona destined for the besieged city of Gaza. Boasting an all-female crew, sailing vessels Amal-Hope and Zaytouna-Oliva left the port of Barcelona to travel across the Mediterranean sea with hopes of breaking the humanitarian blockade of Gaza.
The boats will stop in Ajaccio, France and then travel through another Western Mediterranean port before reaching the shores of Gaza in early October. The boat launch is the culmination of months of hard work and perseverance from a myriad of women passionate about the Palestinian cause.
![Crowds gather to celebrate the launch of the flotilla [Photo credit: Vyara Gylsen]](https://voiceofthecape.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/People-start-to-gather--e1473940478354.jpg)
[Photo credit: Vyara Gylsen]
Speaking to VOC News, Zeenat Adam, the coordinator for the project in South Africa, said they departed from Barcelona as the city had a twinning agreement with Gaza for the past decade. Despite being a ‘sister city’, very little contact is allowed between the two cities.
“We wanted to leave a port that identifies so strongly with the people of Gaza. We had launch events taking place to see the women off as they departed on the boat,” she said.
While farewell festivities took place at the port of Barcelona, in Johannesburg, a number of activists from Palestinian solidarity groups gathered for their own celebration to mark the event. The dinner was attended by former minister and pro-Palestine activist Ronnie Kasrils and other members of civil society.
![The JHB launch on Wednesday evening [Pic: Suraya Dadoo]](https://voiceofthecape.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/launch-WBG-e1473940386980.jpg)
[Pic: Suraya Dadoo]
![The Women's Boat to Gaza group leaders Wendy Goldsmith, Ann Wright, Zohar Chamberlain Regev and Kit Kettridge with some of their team [Photo credit: Vyara Gylsen]](https://voiceofthecape.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Group-Leaders-e1473940312367.jpg)
[Photo credit: Vyara Gylsen]
In 2010, a similar bid to break the blockade by a Turkish flotilla resulted in the killing of 10 activists by Israeli commandos, and caused a diplomatic row between Ankara and Tel Aviv.
In 2015, the last time the Women’s Boat to Gaza attempted to deliver aid to the territory, the Israeli navy boarded and took over its vessel, Marianne. The boat was then taken to the Israeli city of Ashdod.
Adam said they anticipated uphill from the Israeli media, who have tried to sway public opinion with negative reports on the flotilla initiative. However, the coalition remains positive and draws inspiration from the faith and resolve of the Palestinian people.
![Wendy Goldstein is a Boat Leader on the Amal and is also on the steering committee of the International Flotilla Campaign to end the blockade of Gaza [Photo credit Vyara Gylsen]](https://voiceofthecape.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Wendy.jpg)
“We decided that if there are excessive funds we have collected, that we would donate this to a charity in Gaza.”
You can follow the movements of the Women’s Boat to Gaza on Twitter @GazaFFlotilla or on Facebook: Women’s Boat to Gaza South Africa. VOC
1 comment
This flotilla should be breaking the siege of Aleppo in Syria where 25,000 civilians have been bombed with cluster bombs and chlorine gas. Because they refuse to do so, they are complicit in genocide of the syrian people by their Arab leader, a doctor no less, Bashar al-Assad.