Yasemin Acar stand for di deck of one small civilian boat wey dem load wit aid for Gaza, her voice dey carry di weight of defiance and hope. She tok about justice, but pass dat one, she dey tok about future wey she no go gree make Zionism steal.

Acar na one of di 12 international activists wey try reach Gaza by sea, even though Israeli forces later hold dem illegally for Sunday night.

“Di people for Gaza no be stranger. Dem be our sisters, our brothers, dem be family like di ones wey we leave for back,” Acar, wey dey based for Germany, tok from di Madleen boat give TRT World through one patchy satellite connection before Israeli forces attack.

Di Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) launch di mission and dem name di boat Madleen after Gaza first and only fisherwoman. Di boat comot from Catania, Sicily, for June 1, to carry humanitarian supplies go meet Palestinians wey dey suffer under di blockade.

“We finally break through all di wahala wey bureaucracy and even drone attack for Malta cause. No be say e easy, but we dey believe for wetin we dey do. And if you believe something well well, to give up no go dey option,” Acar tok as di boat near Palestinian waters.

Di mission na peaceful one, and e be one of di last chance to carry aid go Gaza, where people dey face hunger and displacement because of di ongoing wahala. But before di boat fit reach Gaza, Israeli naval force intercept am for international waters, seize di boat and order di unarmed civilians make dem raise hand, according to wetin dem broadcast live before communication cut.

Plenty people for di world vex after dem hear say Israeli forces don hold di activists.

Before di attack, Acar don warn say any attack on di Madleen go be “another war crime.” She tok say, “Na dem carry weapon. We no carry anything – na only humanitarian aid we dey carry… If Israel attack us, na just another one for di long list of war crimes dem don do.”

Who dey inside di boat? Di crew include human rights defenders, healthcare workers, and lawmakers from different countries like Sweden, France, Spain, Brazil, Türkiye, and Netherlands. Greta Thunberg, di climate activist, and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan dey among dem.

Di Madleen carry things wey Gaza people need urgently: rice, flour, baby food, nappies, crutches, water filters, and medical items like prosthetics for children. Di unarmed ship take about seven days for di journey, and Forensic Architecture, one research group for London, dey monitor di progress with live tracker.

For Acar, di mission dey personal. She tok say, “To be human being mean say you no go look away. E mean say you go use everything wey you get – your voice, your strength, your presence – for people wey dem dey silence.”

Before Israeli forces hold di boat, di crew don face plenty wahala like surveillance and safety threats. One night, as di Madleen dey sail about 68 km outside Greek waters, one surveillance drone dey fly above dem. Di crew raise alarm, and later dem find out say na Greece Hellenic Coast Guard operate di drone.

But no be only dat drone dem see. Another drone show for night, and di origin of di second drone still dey unknown. Di repeated surveillance make di activists dey worry, especially as Israel don use drone attack another flotilla ship, Conscience, for international waters near Malta some weeks before.

Why dis moment matter? Since 2007, Israel don put strong restriction on movement of people and goods by land, air, and sea, dey control Gaza borders and make di 2.3 million people for di place dey suffer. Under international law, di country wey dey occupy another place suppose make sure say civilians dey okay and allow humanitarian aid pass freely.

For 2023, di International Court of Justice tok say countries suppose do everything to stop genocide, including allowing aid reach people wey dey face hunger. But Israel never obey dis law. Di Freedom Flotilla Coalition mission dey protected under international law, wey no allow Israel stop any boat wey dey carry aid for international waters.

Since October 7, 2023, Gaza dey under total siege. Aid wey dey try enter by land dey delay, bomb, or dem go thief am. Over di past week, Israeli forces kill over 60 Palestinians for food distribution centre for Rafah. Dis killings don make people vex more against di new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation wey dey operate outside UN.

Di blockade of Gaza don dey since 2007, and Acar tok say di silence of di world dat time na wetin lead to di wahala wey dey happen now. “Now, dem dey starve Palestinians. Hunger don turn weapon of war. Dem don dey kill dem for almost 20 months, and still dem dey shout make di world hear dem, but we dey hear dem.”

Remembering di Mavi Marmara: Di most popular attempt to reach Gaza by sea na di 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, wey include six ships, including di Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara. Di aim na to break Israel naval blockade and deliver aid go Gaza.

Di Mavi Marmara carry humanitarian aid like medical equipment, food, and other goods. But di aid no reach Gaza. As di flotilla near Gaza, Israeli forces attack di Mavi Marmara, kill 10 Turkish humanitarian workers and injure many others. UN fact-finding mission later tok say di blockade na illegal and di raid dey “excessive and unreasonable.”

Even with di backlash, Israel still dey stop flotilla participants, dey seize aid and no dey deliver am to Gaza. Smaller missions for 2011, 2015, and 2018 no succeed too. Wetin make di latest attempt special na di timing – as Gaza dey face genocide – and di international support wey di mission get.

Di UN and many humanitarian organisations don beg Israel make dem allow di Madleen pass, and dem warn say to stop di boat go break international law. For di boat, Acar reflect on di risk and di meaning of di journey.

“We believe for di self-determination of Palestine. We believe for truth. And even though our family for house dey worry, dem sabi di kind people dem raise,” she tok. “Dem sabi say di fire of justice wey dey our body dey burn pass fear.”