News- Middle East: Crew members aboard an international aid ship carrying life-saving supplies for children in Gaza are preparing for the possibility of an Israeli military intervention as they approach the Palestinian territory.

The Handala vessel, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), set sail from the port of Gallipoli, Italy, on July 20 and is currently in international waters off the coast of Egypt, en route to Gaza, according to the organizers.

The coalition reported on Saturday that Israeli drones have been observed hovering above the Handala. In a statement posted on Telegram, the FFC indicated that at least 16 drones were detected, with some circling the vessel.

French National Assembly member Gabrielle Cathala, who is on board, shared on social media that the crew is “prepared for any potential intervention that may occur in the coming hours or tomorrow morning.”

“We are united in full solidarity and ready. Drones have started to appear. If Wi-Fi is interrupted, unexpected events may occur. Do not worry about us. Focus on the Palestinians. They are the ones suffering. The genocide they are facing is far worse than any danger we encounter here,” she wrote.

According to organizers, the vessel is now 90 nautical miles from Gaza’s shores, having passed the point where Israeli forces seized the Madleen—another Freedom Flotilla ship—before it could reach Gaza on June 9.

Israeli authorities threatened Saturday that they would seize Handala if the aid ship did not change course.

With a crew of 20, including European lawmakers, human rights activists, and journalists, the Handala aims to breach Israel’s blockade to deliver essential humanitarian supplies, including baby formula, food, and medicine.

Gaza authorities warned on Saturday that the Israeli blockade has severely depleted baby milk supplies, putting over 100,000 children under the age of two—including 40,000 infants—at risk of death within days.

Hospitals are reporting hundreds of severe malnutrition cases daily, yet they cannot respond, given the collapse of the healthcare system.

Israel's blockade imposes extensive restrictions on the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and aid into Gaza. Human rights organizations say that the blockade is a central element of Israel’s ongoing campaign of genocide in the Palestinian territory.

Source: Press TV