Gaza aid flotilla boats attacked by explosions and drones, activists say

Explosions and multiple drones have been reported by the organisers of the Gaza-bound flotilla carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists on Tuesday evening.

“Multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed, and explosions heard from a number of boats,” the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said in a statement. “We are witnessing these psychological operations first-hand, right now, but we will not be intimidated.”

According to the activists, there were at least nine attacks on eight of its boats. A post on X on Tuesday evening stated that more than “15 drones have hovered above the Alma boat at low altitudes, appearing roughly every 10 minutes.”

"We will not be intimidated," the group reminded, saying that every attempt to do so only strengthens its commitment. "These tactics will not deter us from our mission to deliver aid to Gaza and break the illegal siege." 

One video posted by the flotilla’s official Instagram page showed an explosion, which it said it recorded from the Spectre boat.

This is not the first time one of the vessels has been attacked. At the beginning of September, the 'Alma' vessel was attacked twice in one week whilst in Tunisian waters. The group has now called on the Greek Coast Guard to "protect every vessel and every human life within its SAR zone."

The attacks come as the world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to recognise Palestine as a state. Malta, alongside Andorra, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and San Marino, confirmed recognition of Palestinian statehood at the event.

The flotilla carrying activists, including the Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, set sail from Barcelona in late August to “break the illegal siege of Gaza”, organisers said.

The flotilla consists of over 50 civilian vessels from 44 countries, formed to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which was intensified in October 2023 at the start of the war in the Strip after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel.

Israel said on Monday that it would not permit the flotilla to reach Gaza. Back in May and July, it had already intercepted similar attempts by activists to sail to the Strip, including the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which had departed from Malta but was boarded by Israeli forces in international waters while carrying supplies.

On Wednesday afternoon, Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto sent a navy frigate to assist the Gaza-bound flotilla after organisers said several of their boats had been targeted by multiple drones off Greece.

Crosetto expressed "the strongest condemnation" of the "attack" on the flotilla using "drones by currently unidentified perpetrators".

“To ensure support for the Italian citizens aboard the ‘Flotilla,’ I spoke with the Prime Minister and authorised the immediate intervention of the Italian Navy’s multi-purpose frigate Fasan, which was operating north of Crete under Operation Safe Sea," he said, "The vessel is already on its way to the area to carry out possible rescue operations."