by Her Excellency Ismara Mercedes Vargas Walter, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the United Kingdom
A FLOTILLA of four ships including one carrying 5,500 tons of what organisers describe as “desperately needed life-saving aid” is about to set sail for the shores of Gaza. Also on board will be hundreds of civilian observers from 30 countries as well as dozens of reporters.
The Freedom Flotilla, established in 2008, has sent ships to Gaza before, most notoriously in 2010 when one of the boats, the Turkish vessel, Mavi Marmara, was raided by Israeli commandos resulting in the deaths of 10 civilian crew members.
But, says Palestinian-US human rights lawyer Huwaida Arraf, one of the founders of the International Solidarity Movement that established the Freedom Flotilla, today the situation is even more dangerous — and more urgent.
The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – where Palestinians are freezing to death in tents – is not a natural disaster but a calculated outcome of Israel’s ongoing blockade, aid restrictions and continued violence, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
SWEE ANG, the founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians, is a big believer in the power of small actions, and she is the living proof it works, writes Linda Pentz Gunter
From terrifying the children of immigrants to pepper-spraying frogs, the US under Trump is rapidly descending into mayhem, writes Linda Pentz Gunter



