Flotilla vessel 'Conscience' to reach 'red zone' tomorrow, says Shahidul Alam
Shahidul also mentioned that the flotilla was behind schedule as they decided not to leave behind smaller, slower vessels of the Thousand Madleens, another part of the FFC
The Conscience, a vessel of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). carrying journalists and medics, is expected to reach the "red zone" early tomorrow morning, Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul Alam said in a Facebook post today (7 October).
"We expect to reach the 'red zone' early tomorrow morning," wrote Shahidul, who is currently on board the vessel.
The Conscience is part of the ongoing Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) mission that aims to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza. According to Shahidul, the flotilla continues its journey despite the risk of interception by the Israeli military, which has previously captured vessels attempting similar missions.
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"We are on board the Conscience, which is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). Vessels of the earlier Sumud flotilla, also part of the FFC, which also tried to break the siege of Palestine, have all been captured by the Israeli military. We are proceeding regardless," his post read.
He added that Conscience consists mainly of journalists and medics - "the two professional groups that Israel has specifically targeted, killing journalists and health workers at a frequency unprecedented in history."
"This is a statement by these two groups which challenges the illegality of these targeted killings and the illegal siege of Gaza," he wrote.
Shahidul also mentioned that the flotilla was behind schedule as they decided not to leave behind smaller, slower vessels of the Thousand Madleens, another part of the FFC. However, he noted that the boats had now caught up and the flotilla was approximately 70 nautical miles away from the "red zone", where the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had previously intercepted such missions.
The post comes exactly two years after Hamas and other militant groups launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals. 251 were taken hostage with the stated goal of forcing Israel to release Palestinian prisoners. Since the ensuing Israeli offensive began, over 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and more than 169,000 injured, according to Shahidul's post citing The Lancet and Wikipedia.
