Activist flotilla heading to Gaza allegedly attacked by drones south of Greece

Activists taking portion successful a flotilla seeking to interruption the Israeli blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones overnight while sailing south of Greece.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said it was attacked during the nighttime by “unidentified drones and communications jamming.” It said that “at slightest 13 explosions” were heard connected and astir respective flotilla boats, while drones oregon craft dropped “unidentified objects” connected astatine slightest 10 boats.

No casualties were reported but there was harm to the vessels and “widespread obstruction successful communications,” it added.

Activists posted a little video connected the flotilla’s κοινωνικά media relationship showing what appeared to beryllium an detonation connected oregon adjacent 1 of the vessels. Greece’s seashore defender did not study immoderate distress calls.

There was nary contiguous effect to questions regarding the onslaught from the Israeli military.

Sailing to Gaza

The flotilla, comprised of dozens of boats from respective countries, is carrying a symbolic magnitude of humanitarian aid, including nutrient and medicine, for Palestinians successful Gaza.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has accused organizers of being linked to Hamas, and says it has projected that the activists unload their assistance successful the Israeli larboard of Ashkelon for it to beryllium transported into Gaza.

“Israel will not let vessels to participate an progressive combat zone and will not let the breach of a lawful naval blockade,” the ministry said connected Monday. “Israel urges the participants not to interruption the instrumentality and to judge Israel’s connection for a peaceful transfer of immoderate assistance they mightiness have.”

Italian citizens, including members of parliament and members of the European parliament, are participating successful the flotilla, and Italy’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it had “notified the Israeli authorities that immoderate cognition entrusted to Israel’s equipped forces beryllium conducted successful compliance with planetary instrumentality and the rule of implicit caution.”

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani “has asked the Italian Embassy successful Tel Aviv to stitchery accusation and reiterate its erstwhile petition to the Israeli authorities to warrant the implicit extortion of the unit connected board,” it added.

Attacks connected the flotilla

The flotilla has reported respective attacks since it acceptable sail from Spain connected September 1, including two while some of its boats were successful Tunisian waters.

The convoy is claimed to beryllium the largest effort to day to interruption the Israeli maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has present lasted 18 years, agelong predating the existent war successful Gaza.

The astir two-year war has killed much than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry does not accidental however galore were civilians oregon combatants, but says much than fractional person been women and children.

The world’s starring authorization connected hunger crises said past period that Israel’s blockade and ongoing violative had already pushed Gaza City into famine . More than 300,000 radical person fled the metropolis successful caller weeks arsenic Israel has ordered the colonisation to determination south, but an estimated 700,000 remain, according to UN agencies and assistance groups.

The war began connected October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants carried retired an onslaught wrong Israel that killed 1,200 people, astir of them civilians, saw astir 250 radical taken hostage. Israel says its cognition successful Gaza is aimed astatine pressuring Hamas to surrender and instrumentality the remaining 48 hostages. Israel believes astir 20 of the captives are still alive.

It is not the archetypal clip that activists trying to interruption the Israeli blockade of Gaza person travel under attack.

Another vessel said it was attacked by drones successful May successful planetary waters disconnected Malta. An overland convoy traveling crossed North Africa besides attempted to scope the borderline but was blocked by information forces aligned with Egypt successful eastbound Libya.

In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a vessel participating successful an assistance flotilla attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza, sidesplitting 10 Turkish activists connected board. [AP]