A Gaza-bound flotilla carrying humanitarian aid with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg on board claimed that one of their boats was struck by a suspected drone on Tunisian waters.
The Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza (GSF), which comprises about 20 vessels carrying pro-Palestinian activists from 44 nations, is attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade on the embattled Strip.
The Portuguese-flagged boat, carrying the flotilla’s steering committee, sustained fire damage to its main deck and below-deck storage, the organisers said in a statement. The GSF “confirms that one of the main boats… was struck by what is suspected to be a drone,” the organisers said on social media. It said everyone on board was safe after the incident.
The flotilla arrived in Tunisia over the weekend and was anchored about 80km from the port of Sidi Bou Said when the incident allegedly took place.
“I was sleeping when I heard this explosion,” said journalist Yusuf Omar, who is among the dozens of activists heading towards Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade. “A big explosion happened right next to our diesel tank. The neighbouring boats spotted a drone coming in. They said it flew above basically where I was sleeping, and then it went to the front and detonated,” he said in a post on Instagram.
Another eyewitness told Seen TV: “I saw a drone dropping a bomb on us… There was a fire on the front deck that we fought. It is out now. Everybody’s safe.”
The Tunisian authorities said the explosion originated inside the vessel and that reports of a suspected drone attack on the flotilla “have no basis in truth”.
Tunisia’s national guard said their investigation was ongoing but “no drones have been detected”. “According to preliminary findings, a fire broke out in the life jackets on board a ship anchored 50 miles from the port of Sidi Bou Said,” Houcem Eddine Jebabli, a spokesperson for the national guard was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
The Tunisian authorities suggested that the fire might have been caused by a cigarette.
After the alleged strike, dozens of people gathered outside Tunisia’s Sidi Bou Said port, where the flotilla’s boats were docked, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine”.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group.
Israel sealed off Gaza by land in early March, letting in no supplies for three months, arguing that Hamas was diverting aid. In June, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a British-flagged yacht carrying Ms Thunberg, among others. Israel dismissed the aid ship as a propaganda stunt in support of Hamas.
A UN-backed body confirmed in August that there was famine in the Strip as a direct result of Israel’s “systematic obstruction” of aid entering Gaza.
The flotilla left Barcelona on 31 August, carrying food, water and medicine in what activists claimed was the largest civilian maritime mission to Israel of the war so far. But just hours into the journey, the flotilla returned to port due to adverse weather conditions, only to resume its journey two days later.
“We all know why we are here,” said Ms Thunberg, after arriving at the Tunisian port where the activists were greeted by hundreds of people. “Just across the water there’s a genocide going on, a mass starvation by Israel’s murder machine.”
The flotilla is scheduled to arrive in Gaza later this month, but Israeli forces are likely to intercept the boats before they can reach the Gaza Strip.
Israeli national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is said to be drafting up plans for the arrest of Ms Thunberg and the seizure of the flotilla, Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported. There are plans to convert the ships into a police fleet.
The GSF also said an investigation into the drone attack was underway and its results would be released once available.
“Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us. Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve,” the GSF said.
Israel’s almost two-year-long war in Gaza has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Strip. Israel’s offensive began following a Hamas-led militant attack on southern Israel in October 2023, where 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 250 were taken as hostages.
