Flotilla of Activists Faces Israeli Naval Interference on Mission to Gaza
A flotilla of around 45 vessels, carrying activists and politicians including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, set sail from Spain last month, aiming to challenge the blockade on Gaza, where the UN has warned of an ongoing famine.
The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, whose name means “steadfastness” in Arabic, said Israeli naval forces launched what they called an “intimidatory operation” as the ships neared waters off Egypt, a region where previous attempts to reach Gaza have been intercepted.
Spain and Italy, which dispatched naval vessels to escort the flotilla, have urged the group to avoid entering Israel’s declared exclusion zone off Gaza.
After leaving Spain, the flotilla paused in Tunisia for 10 days, during which organizers claimed the ships were targeted in two drone attacks. The journey resumed on 15 September.
One of the flotilla’s main vessels, the Alma, “was aggressively circled by an Israeli warship for several minutes,” the organizers said. The Sirius, another ship in the flotilla, faced similar harassment before the naval vessel finally departed.
French lawmaker Marie Mesmeur, from the radical left-wing LFI party and on board the Sirius, described seeing at least two unidentified ships nearby, one “very, very close,” along with a military patrol boat shining a large spotlight on the vessel. She added that radar and internet communications were cut during the incident.
The flotilla warned it remained “vigilant as we enter the area where previous flotillas were intercepted and/or attacked.” Israel has previously blocked two attempts to deliver aid to Gaza by sea in June and July, including an interception of Thunberg and 11 other activists aboard the sailboat Madleen in June.
As of early Wednesday, the Global Sumud Flotilla reported it was in the Mediterranean, north of Egypt, approaching the 120-nautical-mile mark from Palestinian territory. “We sail on undeterred by Israeli threats and tactics of intimidation,” the group said, noting that French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau are among those on board.
The UN and EU condemned attacks on the flotilla near the Greek island of Crete last week, where organizers claimed drones had dropped explosive devices on the ships.
Spain’s Minister for Digital Transformation, Oscar Lopez, urged the flotilla not to cross into Israel’s exclusion zone, extending 150 nautical miles off Gaza. Italy issued a similar warning, halting its frigate at the same limit and broadcasting messages asking the activists to abandon their mission.
The flotilla, however, accused Spain and Italy of trying to “sabotage” their efforts, insisting their mission would continue despite the warnings.
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