Italy’s defence minister has condemned what he said was an overnight drone attack by unidentified perpetrators on a flotilla trying to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza to deliver aid.
Guido Crosetto also said he had ordered an Italian Navy frigate to head towards the 52 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which are mostly off the coast of Crete, to assist Italian citizens on board.
The GSF reported that several of its boats experienced explosions, unidentified objects being dropped, overhead drones, and communications jamming. The flotilla accused Israel of a “dangerous escalation”.
The Israeli government has not yet issued a comment but has previously stated its intention to prevent the flotilla from reaching its destination.
The incident occurred approximately 50km (27 nautical miles) south of Crete. Video footage released by the GSF, though unverified, appeared to show an explosion near a yacht, with a man jumping onto the deck. Another video, reportedly filmed from the vessel Spectre, also showed an explosion.
Passengers aboard the flotilla stated they had requested assistance from the Greek coastguard. A Greek coastguard source informed the AMNA news agency that a Frontex vessel was dispatched to the area but found no evidence of damage to the boats.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is participating in the flotilla, described the incident as a “scare tactic”. Earlier, the Israeli foreign ministry had alleged that the flotilla was “organised by Hamas” and urged its boats to unload aid in Ashkelon before transfer to Gaza, warning against breaching the naval blockade.
The GSF’s stated objective is to “break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea, open a humanitarian corridor, and end the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people”. The flotilla’s journey comes amid concerning reports of famine in Gaza, with UN experts warning of its potential spread.