A new aid fleet departs from Sicily heading to Gaza.

The "Freedom Fleet," consisting of 10 ships loaded with humanitarian aid, departed from the port of Catania in the Italian island of Sicily yesterday, Saturday, with the aim of "breaking the illegal Israeli blockade on Gaza."

This fleet carries about 60 people from 15 different nationalities, including French and other European parliamentarians.

The new fleet launched by the Freedom Fleet Alliance and "Thousand Madeline," which was delayed for a few days, is expected to join the "Steadfast Fleet" currently off the coast of the Greek island of Crete, which includes more than 50 boats and hundreds of activists from around 45 countries.

Several ships from the Steadfast Fleet sailed from Catania on September 13.

The Freedom Fleet Alliance and "Thousand Madeline" stated in a press release on their website, "These civilian missions all indicate that the demand to end the Israeli blockade cannot be silenced or deterred."

The organizers clarified in a press conference on Saturday in Catania that "most of our ships carry medical supplies, dry food, and school materials, as these have been identified as top priorities by the Palestinians on the ground."

Tan Safi, the spokesperson for the alliance, said, "We will not stop no matter the cost. We are sailing to break the illegal Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has deprived Palestinians of their right to self-determination, sovereignty, and freedom of movement, among other human rights violations."

She also pointed to previous attempts by humanitarian ships to reach Gaza that were prevented by Israel in recent months.

She added, "Governments should not only intervene temporarily by mobilizing for their citizens on the ships they are now escorting, but also for the Palestinians in Gaza," referring to the military ships sent by Spain and Italy to assist the Steadfast Fleet after it was attacked by drones last Wednesday.

For her part, French Member of the European Parliament Melissa Camara called on EU member states to "protect the fleets so that we can deliver the aid we want to provide to the Gaza Strip to save lives."

Meanwhile, French MP Alma Dufour, who is also participating in the fleet, said, "I would like to tell the governments, the French government for example, that we are here because of them, because of their inaction," adding, "We are risking our lives because they have done nothing to stop this genocide, allowing Israel to destroy the lives of two million Gazans and devastate the West Bank."

At the end of August, a convoy of ships from the fleet departed from the port of Barcelona, Spain, followed by another convoy on the dawn of September 1 from the port of Genoa in northwestern Italy, before ships from several countries joined it.

The fleet aims to open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza and break the blockade on the Palestinian territory, which has been subjected to an Israeli extermination war for more than 23 months.

A few days ago, Israel threatened the global Steadfast Fleet by preventing it from entering what it called a combat zone and violating the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.

Italy and Spain had sent military ships to escort their citizens participating in the fleet, while the Greek Foreign Minister confirmed his country's commitment to ensuring safe passage for the fleet through its territorial waters.

The organizers hope to break the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza for months, which has led to severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, amid the United Nations' announcement last August that the territory has entered a state of famine.