Aid flotilla for Gaza says boat struck by drone at Tunisian port, authorities deny strike
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Vessels, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, off the coast of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, on Sept 8.
PHOTO: EPA
Follow topic:
LISBON – The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza
Tunisia’s interior ministry said that reports of a drone hitting a boat at its Sidi Bou Said port “have no basis in truth”, and that a fire broke out on the vessel itself.
The Portuguese-flagged boat, carrying the flotilla’s steering committee, sustained fire damage to its main deck and below-deck storage, the GSF said in a statement.
The flotilla is an international initiative seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza via civilian boats supported by delegations from 44 countries, which had delegates like Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua.
A video posted by the GSF on X showed the moment “the Family Boat was struck from above”, capturing a luminous flying object hitting the vessel with smoke rising soon after.
After the 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”, a Reuters witness said.
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.
The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the current war, which began when Hamas attacked south Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show.
Israel’s subsequent military assault against Hamas has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, Gaza’s health ministry says, while a global hunger monitor says part of the enclave is suffering from famine.
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.
The GSF also said an investigation into the drone attack was under way 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.
The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Ms Francesca Albanese, who was at the port, said: “We do not know who carried out the attack, but we would not be surprised if it was Israel. If confirmed, it is an attack against Tunisian sovereignty.” REUTERS
