TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Communication with the 'Handala,' a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid vessel, has been restored. This was revealed by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FCC) after a two-hour disruption when a drone was seen near the ship.
The coalition announced via Telegram that the ship has resumed its mission and is now less than 646 kilometers from Gaza.
“For about two hours, our Freedom Flotilla boat’s communications were interrupted and drones were observed near the boat, raising serious concerns of a potential attack,” it said, as quoted by Anadolu.
The group called on supporters to "keep your eyes on the ‘Handala’ and on Palestine and continue pressuring your governments and media to break the illegal siege on Gaza.”
In an accompanying video, journalist Tan Safi stated that the crew was unaware of a global blackout affecting Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service.
“Some experts are investigating it and said this was unusual,” Safi noted. “It’s not the first time Elon has worked with Israel, but this was most likely a global disruption.”
Safi added that the drone is still near the ship, prompting activists to remain vigilant.
Starlink had previously confirmed a global connectivity disruption, which was mostly resolved within a few hours.
On Thursday night, the FCC stated that they had lost contact with 'Handala' amid concerns of an attack after a drone was seen near the aid ship.
As reported by The New Arab, 'Handala' set sail on July 20 from Sicily, Italy, after being delayed due to technical issues. The ship carries activists, medical personnel, lawyers, journalists, and humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza amid Israel's aid blockade in the Gaza Strip.
Just a few hours before the scheduled departure, FCC revealed that the ship had likely been tampered with in two "dangerous incidents" believed to be "deliberate attempts to derail" the aid mission.
A rope was found tightly wound around the vessel's propeller, and a shipment of fresh water turned out to be sulfuric acid, causing injury to several crew members.
These incidents follow similar confrontations, including a drone attack on the MV Conscience near Malta in May and the interception of the Madleen ship in June, when Israeli forces detained 12 activists, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
Amid its brutal war in Gaza, Israel continues to enforce a blockade causing mass starvation and malnutrition among the Palestinian population.
Almost 900,000 children in Gaza are suffering from starvation, with 70,000 of them experiencing clinical malnutrition.
Aid agencies warn of a sharp rise in malnutrition among children under the age of five, with malnutrition rates doubling between March and June as Israel prevents aid from entering the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Ministry of Health stated that at least 115 Palestinians have died of starvation in the territory since October 2023, while nearly 60,000 people have been killed in Israeli aggression. The majority of the casualties are women and children, leading to international legal proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The actual death toll is believed to be much higher, as thousands of uncounted victims are buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza.
Editor’s Choice: UNRWA Calls for Immediate Access to Gaza, Says It Has Food Stockpiled
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