TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — An international activist group known as the Global Sumud Flotilla announced on Tuesday that one of its key vessels was reportedly hit by a drone while docked in Tunisia. However, Tunisian authorities have dismissed this claim, emphasizing that they are currently investigating an incident regarding a life jacket that caught fire. Fortunately, all individuals on board were unharmed.
The boat in question, named the "Family," which sails under a Portuguese flag, was carrying prominent activists, including Swedish advocate Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. It remains uncertain whether they were present during the alleged drone attack.
Footage shared on social media by the flotilla showed a bright flash landing on one of the boats, followed by a fire. The group stated that this incident would not deter their mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The flotilla is scheduled to depart Tunisia on Wednesday, as part of a wider effort to provide aid to Gaza by sea.
Miguel Duarte, a Portuguese activist aboard the vessel, recounted his experience at a press conference in Tunis. He described seeing a drone hovering just a few meters above his head right before an explosion occurred. Duarte recalled, “The drone stood a few seconds on top of a bunch of life jackets and then dropped a bomb. The bomb exploded, and there was a big flame. There was a fire on board immediately. We picked up the fire extinguishers, we were able to fight the fire successfully, and everybody was safe, fortunately.”
In contrast, the Tunisian Interior Ministry issued a statement asserting that the reports of a drone attack were unfounded, and specialized security units are investigating the fire incident. The flotilla, which activists refer to as "Steadfastness" in Arabic, set sail from Barcelona the previous week, aiming to transport food, water, and medicine to Gaza, despite Israel's maritime blockade.
The activist group has indicated that the presence of doctors, artists, clergy, and politicians on board is intended to draw attention to the blockade and Israeli actions reinforcing it. According to a report from last month, the world’s leading authority on food crises indicated that Gaza's largest city is experiencing a famine that is likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and the lifting of humanitarian aid restrictions.
As of now, neither the Israeli government nor military has commented on the incident. The Global Sumud Flotilla's voyage comes three months after a smaller activist flotilla attempted to deliver aid to Gaza but was reportedly targeted in a suspicious drone attack in international waters off Malta, which the group accused Israel of orchestrating.
An overland convoy that was traveling across North Africa also sought to reach the Gaza border but was blocked by security forces associated with Egypt in eastern Libya. Israel has previously labeled such humanitarian efforts as publicity stunts, justifying the blockade on the grounds of preventing smuggling, especially of arms.
Despite the recent incident, activist Thiago Ávila expressed optimism at Tuesday’s press conference, stating, “Not only do we continue our mission, we keep on going, but since that attack happened, thousands and thousands of people are now volunteering again to join our mission.”
The backdrop of this situation involves the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which escalated when Hamas-led militants abducted 251 individuals on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200, mostly Israeli civilians. In retaliation, Israel's offensive has claimed the lives of over 64,000 Palestinians, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry. However, the specifics regarding the identities of those killed—whether they were civilians or combatants—remain undisclosed.
