A group of activists onboard a flotilla aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, despite Israeli government objections, announced early Wednesday that their communications were jammed, drones flew overhead and launched attacks, and explosions were heard from some of their vessels.
The boats are part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a collective protesting Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Their mission is to provide food to the besieged enclave, which is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. The group has recently been at odds with Israeli authorities, who insist the aid should be delivered to Israel for onward transfer to Gaza. Posts from the flotilla on social media hint at Israeli involvement in these latest attacks.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on these reports.
Late Tuesday, the group shared a post indicating that drones had been circling one boat for hours, appearing every ten minutes. They suggested these drones were meant for intimidation and potentially for intelligence gathering by Israel.
Soon after, the group reported hearing explosions from a nearby boat, with communications being jammed while drones continued their overhead presence. They explicitly pointed to the involvement of “Israel and its allies” in their social media updates.
“We are witnessing these psychological operations firsthand, right now, but we will not be intimidated,” the group declared, reaffirming their commitment for the ships to “continue to sail.”
One video shared by the group showed what appeared to be a flash bang followed by a loud detonation. Another video featured a passenger from the flotilla stating that at least four ships had been targeted by drones and that the assault was ongoing.
Francesca Albanese, an international lawyer and UN special rapporteur for Occupied Palestinian Territories, who has openly opposed the Gaza war and supported the flotilla, publicly commented on the maritime incident via social media. She urged the international community to protect the boats, exclaiming, “Hands off the Flotilla!”
Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament, who was previously on a Gaza-bound boat intercepted by Israel, appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron for help. She noted on social media that “Several dozen French nationals are present on board the flotilla!” and demanded, “These attacks must stop!”
The New York Times could not independently verify these videos. While the Global Sumud Flotilla did not specify their exact location during the attack, a Tuesday post indicated their vessels were near Greece, several days away from Gaza. A flotilla representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tensions between the aid group and the Israeli government remain high. Israel’s foreign ministry previously instructed the group to deliver their aid to an Israeli port for “prompt and peaceful transfer to the Gaza Strip,” suggesting that the flotilla’s refusal indicates “the insincerity of the flotilla members.”
Israel has accused the group of having links to Hamas and has pledged to “take the necessary measures to prevent its entry into the combat zone.”
Israeli authorities claim the group is breaching a lawful naval blockade, while flotilla members counter that Israel is violating international law through its aid restrictions on Gaza and by hindering missions to deliver food to civilians.
Global observers report widespread extreme hunger in Gaza, with some areas now facing famine. Conditions have worsened significantly over nearly two years of conflict, which began with a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israeli authorities have previously turned away aid groups attempting to reach Gaza by sea.
In May, a Gaza-bound ship named Conscience was damaged by explosions and a subsequent fire near Malta, halting its mission. In June, Israel intercepted the Madleen, carrying activists like Greta Thunberg and Ms. Hassan. In July, another vessel, the Handala, was also intercepted by Israel.
These earlier boats were operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which has since merged with other groups to form the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, recently threatened to classify aid flotilla members as terrorists and detain them accordingly.
Earlier this month, the Global Sumud Flotilla claimed one of its boats was attacked at port in Tunisia. However, the Tunisian National Guard issued a statement denying evidence of an attack, dismissing social media reports as “baseless” and suggesting initial investigations pointed to a fire caused by a cigarette or lighter.