Thirteen women including several parliamentarians, a South African Olympic athlete, an Israeli peace activist, a Nobel Laureate and a former US Diplomat have set sail en route to the Palestinian Gaza Strip in a maritime attempt to break the illegal Israeli blockade on the tiny Palestinian coastal enclave. The Women’s Boat to Gaza initiative is being led in South Africa by the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) together with several other organizations.

For the last decade, since 2006, Israel has imposed a naval, air and land blockade on the Gaza Stip trapping over 1.8 million Palestinians into, what has been described by Archbishop Tutu, as the largest open air prison on earth. The Gaza Strip is also the most populated piece of land in the world.

Participants on the boat have declared that “we are not a threat to Israel. We are a threat to this blockade.” The boat is not carrying any humanitarian aid as Israel has previously attacked humanitarian boats by falsely claiming that they are carrying contraband. “The only cargo we are carrying is nonviolence and hope. These should not be considered contraband by any nation.”   Click here for more information.