The Turkish Mavi Marmara Association is preparing to head towards Gaza again as part of the International Freedom Flotilla to transport humanitarian aid, 13 years after its ship was subjected to an armed attack by the Israeli Navy in international waters near the shores of the Gaza Strip, leaving 10 Turkish solidarity activists dead.
The Turkish Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association announced its intention to head towards Gaza again as part of a decision taken with the International Freedom Flotilla to transport relief materials and humanitarian aid.
On Thursday, Israeli army forces toppled the memorial to the martyrs of the ship "Mavi Marmara" in the Gaza port after announcing its control of the port.
The army said in a statement, “A memorial glorifying the Marmara ship accidents was toppled.”
In a statement published on its website, Mavi Marmara for Freedom and Solidarity said that Israel had begun carrying out a “major genocide” in Gaza.
She pointed out that mosques, schools, hospitals and all civilian places are subject to Israeli attacks.
The association stated that more than 11,000 people were martyred and thousands of civilians were seriously injured in Gaza during the last month.
She stressed that Israel is continuing the "massacre" without listening to the resolutions and warnings of the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and has been ignoring international conscience since last October 7.
She continued: “In line with the decision we took with the International Freedom Flotilla, of which we are a member, we are setting off again towards Gaza as an independent civilian movement.”
She added: "Our actions against the naval blockade imposed on Gaza are always subject to the principles of nonviolence and nonviolent resistance."
It called for providing support to purchase ships for the fleet and secure humanitarian aid materials, and to denounce the siege imposed on Gaza.
On May 31, 2010, the Israeli Navy launched an attack on the “Mavi Marmara” ship, in international waters near the shores of the Gaza Strip, and the attack resulted in the martyrdom of 10 Turkish solidarity activists.
"Mavi Marmara" was part of the "Freedom Flotilla", which is a group of 6 ships, two of which belong to the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH).
The six ships carried about 10,000 tons of relief materials and humanitarian aid, in addition to about 750 human rights and political activists, including journalists representing international media outlets.
“A scandalous story.” Hamas denies Washington’s accusations of using hospitals for military purposes
Hamas said that ignoring its call to form a committee to inspect hospitals and schools indicates "the American administration's partnership with the occupation in the genocide in Gaza."
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas said on Friday that American claims about its use of hospitals and schools as military sites are “a repetition of a blatantly false narrative” presented by the Israeli army.
The movement confirmed in a statement posted on Telegram, “The Pentagon’s claim that Hamas used Al-Shifa Hospital for military purposes, and then the US State Department’s claim that Hamas used hospitals and schools as military sites, is a repetition of a blatantly false narrative.”
She added, "This story was demonstrated by the weak and ridiculous plays of the occupation army spokesman, after the storming of Al-Rantisi and Al-Shifa Hospital, and the threat to the safety of patients and medical staff."
The movement added: “We would like to remind President Biden and his administration that the occupation bombed most hospitals, cutting off electricity, fuel, and medicines, which led to 26 hospitals being out of service.”
Hamas considered that ignoring the movement's call to form a committee to inspect hospitals and schools indicates "the American administration's partnership with the occupation in the genocide in Gaza."
On Thursday, the Israeli army claimed, after not finding anything incriminating the Palestinian Hamas movement in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, that evidence had been “hidden.”
On Wednesday, Israeli occupation army forces stormed the Shifa Medical Complex twice within 24 hours, after tanks had been surrounding it for a week.
Israeli Army Radio said that the storming of the Shifa Medical Complex is “a complex, ongoing and sophisticated activity led by a special unit, and new information is discovered all the time.”
She added: "We must remember that Hamas, from the moment the hospitals were revealed a few weeks ago, has worked to conceal its infrastructure and hide evidence."
The Israeli army has claimed in recent weeks that Hamas is using the ground building of the hospital as a command center and is hiding Israeli prisoners there.
However, after storming the hospital, he did not announce the arrest of any gunmen, while the evidence he presented was several machine guns.
For 42 days, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, leaving 11,500 Palestinian martyrs, including 4,710 children and 3,160 women, in addition to 29,800 injured, 70% of whom are children and women, according to the latest official Palestinian statistics.