By Staff Reporter
The Israeli military has largely dismantled a humanitarian flotilla seeking to break its siege on Gaza, arresting hundreds of activists from dozens of vessels, but one yacht continues to plough onwards towards the Palestinian enclave.
As of the early hours of Friday morning, the Polish-flagged Marinette, which reportedly has a crew of six, is the last remaining operational vessel of the Global Sumud Flotilla – once a 44-strong fleet.
Speaking via video call with flotilla organisers late on Thursday, the Australian captain, who identified himself only as Cameron, explained that the boat initially had engine issues and was therefore lagging behind the main group. The vessel is now “steaming” towards Gaza, Cameron added.
“We have a bunch of very tough Turks onboard … we’ve got a lady from Oman and myself, and we’re just going to continue in the direction,” he said.
A live video feed of the yacht, active as of 04:00 GMT, shows the crew steering the ship as the sun rises behind them in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea.
A live geo tracker shows the ship located some 43 nautical miles (about 80km) from Gaza’s territorial waters.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously warned the Marinette that “its attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented”.
