[News] Contact lost with Handala; FFC says flotilla intercepted or attacked

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/contact-lost-with-handala--ffc-says-flotilla-intercepted-or>
Contact lost with Handala; FFC says flotilla intercepted or attacked
Al Mayadeen English
July 24, 2025
------------------------------

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition loses contact with the Handala flotilla en
route to Gaza amid fears of Israeli interference and communication jamming.

   - [image: The Handala freedom flotilla is off on its way to Gaza.
   (@yipengGe)]
   <https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/7/20/a82d90f3-4b49-4f35-84ec-d3b4dbd14ca3.png?width=1000>
   The Handala freedom flotilla is off on its way to Gaza (@yipengGe)

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced that contact was lost with the
Handala flotilla
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-injustice-in-gaza-can-t-be-ignored---handala-member-tells-a?utm_source=mango-searchx&utm_medium=title_and_relatives&utm_campaign=%23Handala>,
which was bound for Gaza to break the Israeli siege on humanitarian aid
entering the enclave.

"All communications with the Handala's crew have been jammed," a statement
published on the FCC's telegram channel read, adding that they lost all
contact with the crew while multiple drones hovered over the vessel. The
FCC noted that this could mean the Handala could have been intercepted or
attacked.

"We need you to pressure for the safety of the crew," the FCC's statement
added, calling on people to contact their representatives and local media
to "pressure Israel to let 'Handala' go and guarantee a safe passage to Gaza
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/freedom-flotilla-s-handala-departs-sicily-in-bid-to-break-ga?utm_source=mango-searchx&utm_medium=title_and_relatives&utm_campaign=%23Handala>
."

Handala set sail two days ago from the Italian port of Gallipoli, bound for
Gaza, as part of the campaign to break the blockade amid the ongoing war of
genocide and starvation in the Strip.
21 people aboard Handala

Human rights activist and American actor Jacob Berger, who is participating
in the ship's mission, told *Al Mayadeen* that 21 people, including six
Americans, have joined Handala's mission, explaining that the goal is to
break the illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/situation-in-gaza--reached-new-depths--continuing-to-worsen?utm_source=mango-searchx&utm_medium=title_and_relatives&utm_campaign=%23Gaza>
and emphasizing that the success of the ship's mission would inspire other
countries and ships to take similar action.

Berger also revealed that the vessel had been targeted in two separate
incidents, possibly with the intent to sabotage and disrupt its mission,
while stressing that morale remains very high and everyone is fully
committed to helping the Palestinian people.

Last June saw a similar campaign when the ship "Madleen" set sail with
activists
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/greta-thunberg-slams--israel--for-kidnapping-madleen-activis?utm_source=mango-searchx&utm_medium=title_and_relatives&utm_campaign=%23Madleen>
from several countries on board, carrying humanitarian aid in an attempt to
break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

As the ship approached Gaza, Israeli authorities ordered the military to
prevent it from reaching the coastal enclave, prompting naval commandos
from the elite "Shayetet 13" unit to storm the vessel
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hrf-files-complaint-against-israeli-unit-shayetet-13-over-ma?utm_source=mango-searchx&utm_medium=title_and_relatives&utm_campaign=%23Madleen>,
take control of it, and detain the activists on board
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/8-gaza-flotilla-activists-under-israeli-detention--refuse-de>,
and later deport them to their countries.
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