Italy and Spain Deploy Navy Ships to Protect Gaza Flotilla After Drone Attacks
Italy and Spain are dispatching naval vessels to the Mediterranean to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla, after activists reported drone attacks on boats carrying aid to Gaza.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which is set sail this week from ports across Europe, charting a course through Mediterranean toward Gaza hits by suspicious drone attack. The convoy, consisting of approximately 50 ships, had been attacked by a drone when it gathered in Tunisia with the aim of delivering humanitarian aid directly by sea to the besieged region, despite Israel’s long-standing naval blockade.
The latest attack is the second direct attack on this fleet.
Organisers said drones and low-flying aircraft dropped flashbang-type explosives and other objects on flotilla vessels, causing panic and disrupting communications through deliberate radio jamming. The fleet includes MPs from Italy and various other countries, human rights activists, lawyers, journalists and actors.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that Italian citizens and members of parliament were on board the ship. Tajani reminded Israel that ‘any operation must be conducted in accordance with international law and the principle of absolute caution.’ Defence Minister Guido Crosetto condemned the attacks and subsequently deployed a patrol vessel to protect the fleet.
Following Italy’s action, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced in a speech at the UN in New York that they would deploy a warship to protect their citizens on the Sumud flotilla.
“The government of Spain insists that international law be respected and that the right of our citizens should be respected to sail through the Mediterranean in safe conditions. Tomorrow we will dispatch a naval vessel from Cartagena with all necessary resources in case it was necessary to assist the flotilla and carry out a rescue operation,” Sanchez said at UNGA speech.
Background: Gaza Blockade and Flotillas
Israel has maintained a naval blockade of Gaza since 2007, citing security concerns over weapons smuggling to Hamas. The policy has been widely criticized by rights groups and UN agencies for restricting the flow of humanitarian goods and worsening living conditions for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Previous flotilla attempts to break the blockade have often ended in confrontation. The most infamous was the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish vessel in international waters, killing nine activists. That raid triggered a diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey and drew widespread international condemnation.
The current Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest such effort in years, with its organizers insisting they will continue sailing until aid reaches Gaza directly by sea.
