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Activists from several Arab countries have launched a symbolic initiative called “A Bottle of Hope” to send food supplies across the sea in tightly sealed plastic bottles, hoping the current will carry them to Gaza.
The initiative, launched from Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco, is seen as a last resort amid global inaction and under the weight of international pressure, as Israel’s hardline policies continue to block all forms of aid from entering Gaza.
The initiative involves filling empty 1 or 2-liter water bottles with a kilogram of rice, lentils, or other dry legumes, sealing them tightly, and throwing them into the sea from the coasts of Mediterranean countries such as Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, or Morocco, in the hope that ocean currents will carry them to the shores of Gaza.
Inspired by the concept of “messages in bottles,” the idea quickly turned into a wave of online solidarity, with thousands of users engaging with it on social media. Many described it as a “symbolic cry against the blockade” and a moral message to the people of Gaza, assuring them that they are not alone in facing hunger and death.
An Egyptian academic and engineer living in Japan, Dr. Mohamed Sayed Ali Hassan, has launched a scientific initiative to deliver food supplies to Gaza by sea. He explained that the idea relies on “airtight plastic containers with a capacity of 25 liters, filled with about 6 to 8 kilograms of food, leaving an 8-liter air gap to ensure buoyancy.”
Hassan pointed out that the containers are to be dropped no less than 4 kilometers from the coast “at a 60-degree angle toward the northeast to avoid opposing currents.” He added that the surface currents in the eastern Mediterranean could carry the containers to Gaza’s shores within 72 to 96 hours if launched from areas like Damietta or eastern Port Said.
He concluded his post with a verse from the Quran: "And you threw not, when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing." (Surah Al-Anfal 8:17)
“Forgive us, our brothers, there’s nothing we can do,” repeats an Egyptian man in a video circulating on social media as he throws plastic bottles filled with grain and flour into the sea, hoping they will reach the starving population in Gaza. He calls on others to take part in the effort, saying, “This bottle might save you on Judgment Day.”
Meanwhile, Rasd Network shared footage of an Egyptian family from Sheikh Zuwaid filling bottles with rice and legumes and casting them into the sea, hoping the currents will carry the aid to Gaza.
Some social media users from Türkiye have also shown support for this initiative, one user emphasized, “I swear, if we try, we have nothing to lose,” urging immediate action and asking, “What do you think about starting this right away?” They highlight that ocean currents could carry these bottles to Gaza’s shores, encouraging everyone to participate as a simple yet meaningful act of solidarity without any cost or risk.
The initiative reflects a cry from the people against Arab and international silence, carrying a powerful humanitarian message: "When the land is closed, the sea is the only option."
Although there is no guarantee the bottles will reach Gaza, the initiative has succeeded in conveying its message: popular solidarity remains alive, and humanity continues to resist—even if only through a bottle floating in the sea.
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