"Amal" - or hope - is the reason why some twenty women are currently sailing to Gaza, and it's name of the vessel they're navigating.
Sailed by an all-women crew, "Amal" and a second boat, "Zeytouna", have taken off from the shores of Spain. The women on board come from over 15 countries across six continents, but their aim is one: breaking - be it physically or symbolically - the decade long Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza's land, air and sea.
After a speech in support of the group, Barcelona's mayor, Ada Colau, took to Twitter her support of the "courageous women in peace mission".
The initiative, under the name of Women's Boat to Gaza, was organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a nonviolent international movement demanding the end of the siege on Gaza.
“We want our sisters in Gaza to know they are not forgotten and that with these boats and women, we are sending to them our message of hope, love and solidarity,” A WBG member said .
The vessels are expected to reach the Gaza strip by early October, after making some stops along the Mediterranean to pick up more activists. The flotillas will attempt to cross the blockade and deliver food and medicine to the Palestinians.
Meet the women:
According to the Middle East Eye, the participants include an Israeli national, an Irish Nobel Peace awardee, a member of the New Zealand parliament and "a professional Turkish athlete and coach who sailed on the Mavi Marmara in 2010 and whose husband was among the 10 activists killed by Israeli forces on that voyage."
Arab women have not missed out on the opportunity to support Palestinians. According to the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, Algeria's Al Jazeera journalist Khadija Benguenna and activist Samira Adwaavih, Tunisian Paliament member Latifa Habachi and Jordanian activist Ola Abed are on board as well.
“We think that through this act organized by women, we can give more visibility to the important role of Palestinian women in the fight for freedom,” said one of the organizers, according to The Daily Star .
Festivities saw the group off
As did words of support and encouragement
Spanish officials joined in on supporting the initiative, including Barcelona's mayor
"Since the Barcelona farewell, #WomenToGaza are calling for the end of the occupation on Palestine and fulfillment of human rights."
"Spanish deputies salute and applaud the departure # FreedomFlottilla 's departure in front of the congress."
Support also came in the form of art
Because these are women of "courage and conviction"
Chamberlain Regev, who chairs Women's Boat to Gaza’s steering committee explained the activists' motives: “We find the blockade of Gaza and the occupation of Palestine absolutely unacceptable. And as long as governments continue to ignore this political-humanitarian crisis, we, as global citizens of goodwill, have no choice but to continue our efforts to break this inhumane blockade.”
Flotillas that have previously attempted to break the Gaza blockade by sea were raided by the Israeli navy. People on board are often attacked and arrested. In 2010, Israeli military killed 10 and wounded more than 50 passengers aboard the Mavi Marmara ship headed for Gaza.