Women’s flotilla sets-sail with hope of reaching Gaza

A flotilla of international activists set-sail from the Spanish city of Barcelona towards the Gaza Strip. The flotilla is composed of two small sailing boats carrying 11 women, one of whom is Swedish European Member of Parliament Malin Bjork. The flotilla’s spokesperson said they are carrying food and medicine on board, which will be distributed to the residents of the Palestinian strip, while adding that the primary aim is to carry a message of hope and solidarity. The flotilla’s declared aim, however, practically means it would try to break the Israeli blockade on the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave, which has been in place since 2007, when the internationally recognized terror group violently seized control of Gaza. The activists on board said they had high hopes the flotilla would not be stopped by the Israeli navy and reach its destination – a reality most-unlikely.