This did not begin on the 7th of October.

Gaza has never been free. While Israel claims to have left Gaza in 2006, they have maintained control over the region through land sea and air blockades. Gazans have no autonomy over what enters and exits the territory. Their food imports are limited by Israeli imposed calorie counts. Import of all goods, including vital medicine is controlled by Israel. If you can’t receive the care you need within Gaza, Israel approves only 64% of requests to receive external specialized treatment. It’s one of many reasons that organizations like Human Rights Watch have called Gaza the biggest open air prison in the world.

Activists from all over have spent the last 18 years trying to break this blockade, to bring not only attention to this injustice, but to provide Gazans with the aid that Israel has deprived them of. One such example of this was the Gaza Flotilla. Composed of 3 passenger ships and 3 cargo ships packed with vital aid, the flotilla had 663 activists from 37 different nations. On the night of May 31st, 2010, Israeli forces boarded and took over the ships on international waters, killing 9 activists in the process.

This did not begin on the 7th of October.

One of the activists on board was Huwaida Aref, the chair of the Free Gaza Movement at the time. I had the honor of hearing her speak at my college the year after. Her story impacted me deeply, and has only become more impactful and pertinent in the last few months. Inspired by her story, and painted in homage to J.M.W. Turner’s “The Slave Ship” this piece is dedicated in the memory of those 9 innocent heroes who lost their lives that night.

This did not begin on the 7th of October.

Acrylic on Canvas 22" x 28"