International aid initiative Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has said one of its boats was attacked by a drone at Tunisia’s Sidi Bou Said port, the second such reported strike in two days.
The GSF, which is seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza using civilian boats, said in a statement early on Wednesday all passengers and crew were unharmed and that no structural damage had been caused.
The flotilla, which is carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists including Greta Thunberg, posted a video on Instagram of Wednesday’s alleged attack, showing a luminous object hitting the boat and fire erupting immediately afterwards on board. It was not possible to immediately verify the video.
GSF reported the first attack on Tuesday saying one of its vessels had been struck by a drone in Tunisian waters. Tunisia’s interior ministry said reports of a drone hitting the boat on Tuesday had “no basis in truth”, and that a fire broke out on the vessel itself.
RM Block
The group said the British-flagged Alma sustained fire damage to its top deck and an investigation was under way.
It later posted an image of what it said was a “charred electronic device” recovered from the deck. “While a full investigation is ongoing, the presence of such a device provides further indication that the boat was deliberately targeted,” it said.
Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, posted video of the burning Alma and said it indicated a drone attack.
“Video evidence suggests a drone – with no light so it could not be seen – dropped a device that set the deck of the Alma boat on fire,” she wrote on social media.
Several ambulances rushed to the port, while a Reuters witness reported coastguard boats near the Alma.
The activists said they would continue their “peaceful voyage” on Wednesday as planned, as the flotilla “presses forward with determination and resolve”.
The flotilla is supported by delegations from 44 countries, including Swedish activist Ms Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua.
Israel has maintained the blockade on the coastal territory since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, saying it is needed to prevent weapons smuggling.
The blockade on food and other aid has been tightened throughout the current war. A global hunger monitor said in July part of the enclave is suffering from famine.
In June, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a British-flagged yacht carrying Ms Thunberg, among others. Israel also killed nine Turkish activists in 2010 when it raided the Mavi Marmara, which was also trying to break the blockade.
The GSF statement did not say who it believed was behind the alleged attacks, but described them as an “orchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission“.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla continues undeterred. Our peaceful voyage to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza and stand in unwavering solidarity with its people presses forward with determination and resolve,” the group added. – Guardian/Reuters/Agence France-Presse
