[WATCH] Gaza Freedom Flotilla boat docks in Malta: 'The genocide must stop'

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition boat ‘Handala’ has docked in Malta ahead of its journey towards Palestine.

Activists on board the boat, together with NGO Moviment Graffitti, held a press conference at Ras Hanzir in Paola.

The ‘Handala’ was scheduled to arrive in Malta on Sunday, but the visit was delayed due to technical difficulties while in Messina, Sicily. The current mission started last May in Olso, Norway, and it’s been to Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy.

A character created by Palestinian newspaper cartoonist Naji al-Ali in 1969 — two years after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war — the boy known as Handala is a symbol of the Palestinian struggle and resistance to occupation to this day.

Handala is forever 10 years old — the age that Ali was when his family was forced to move during the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948 when the state of Israel was formed. Ali's refugee boy character shares his name with a resilient, bitter plant that grows in the Middle East called handal. It has deep roots and will always grow back even if it's weeded out.

Crew members voiced their anger at the “oppression” of the Palestinian people, saying the global community must come together to resolve the crisis.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Palestinian Rana Hamida said that what is happening in Palestine is an “unimaginable genocide.”

“The human mind cannot comprehend. You see it on social media, and when its gets to hard we swipe away, but the people there have to suffer every day,” she said. “They have a reality which is so brutal, so inhumane, so bloody.”

She said people are waking up to Israel’s genocide, and are willing to step up in stopping “the killing machine.”

“I choose to focus on heartbreak to fire me to help my people,” Hamida said.

Addressing the press conference, Palestine's ambassador to Malta Fadi Hanania said the ship represents a message of hope and humanity.

“This is not a war this is occupation. The blockade has to end. 75 years of occupation for our people. The international community must wake up and step forward,” he said. “You need an independent Palestine state for peace in the region. The genocide must be put to an end.”

Moviment Graffitti activist Andre Callus said it is “shocking beyond belief” that the world has allowed the situation to continue.

“Shocking but not surprising. Palestinians have been ethnically cleansed, had their homeland colonized, their children killed and imprisoned, their resources stolen – they have been living under siege and in a situation of apartheid – not since last October, but for over 76 years. And during all these years, Israel has enjoyed absolute impunity for its atrocities,” he said.

He said people cannot afford to ignore what is happening in Palestine. “The grave injustice suffered by the Palestinians is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Amid the horror of the genocide in Gaza we have also witnessed the power and value of international solidarity. Millions around the world are taking to the streets and carrying out actions to express their rage and solidarity,” he said. “The people have shown that they have not become numb. International solidary has remained, and will remain, strong.