Photo / picture: Protest against the genocide in Gaza at the monument to the Holodomor in Kiyv.

Solidarity message from Ukrainian Соціальний рух / Social Movement/ to the participants of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that leaves for Gaza today from a lot of countries worldwide.

"We write from Ukraine with respect for your courage and in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We ourselves have experienced invasion, occupation, forced displacement and separation of our loved ones and know all too well what this means.

We also remember the history leading up to this day: the denial of the Nakba, the ongoing violence and land grab by colonists, the continued denial of the right to return and the suffocating blockade that turned Gaza into an open-air prison. We see how in Gaza citizens, women and children are disproportionately targeted, trapped on a narrow strip of land where famine has been created and where homes, schools and hospitals are in ruins. The paralysis of the so-called international community, unable or unwilling to intervene and end this madness, is painfully familiar to us.

We praise the dedication of the Freedom Flotilla and believe that solidarity, even if symbolic, can break the spell of inevitability. We join the demands for a permanent ceasefire and an end to apartheid structures, for a future based on equality and shared life.

May the road you take today become a safe passage for help, and tomorrow a corridor for freedom! ”

"We write from Ukraine with respect for your courage and in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Having lived through invasion, occupation, forced displacement, and separation from our loved ones, we know too well what these mean.

We also remember the history that has led to this day: the dispossession of the Nakba, the continuing violence and land-grabbing by settlers, the persistent denial of the right to return, and the suffocating blockade that has turned Gaza into an open-air prison. We see how in Gaza, civilians, women and children are disproportionately targeted, trapped on a narrow strip of land where famine has been manufactured and where homes, schools, and hospitals have become ruins. The paralysis of the so-called international community, unable or unwilling to intervene and put a stop to this madness, feels painfully familiar to us.

We commend the dedication of the Freedom Flotilla, and we believe that solidarity, even when symbolic, can break the spell of inevitability. We add our voices to demands for a permanent ceasefire and an end to apartheid-like structures, for a future based on equality and shared life.

May the path you embark on today become a safe passage for aid, and tomorrow, a corridor for freedom!"