A section of the Global Sumud Flotilla sails near the port of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia. EPA
Tunisian officials rejected claims that a Gaza-bound aid vessel carrying pro-Palestinian activists, including Greta Thunberg, was struck by a drone. The organisers, Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), said the Portuguese-flagged boat caught fire after being hit while anchored outside the port of Sidi Bou Said. They confirmed all six passengers and crew escaped unharmed.
Tunisia’s National Guard insisted no drone appeared in the area. Officials said early checks suggested the blast may have come from inside the boat. Authorities confirmed the investigation remains open.
Aid mission and competing claims
The flotilla had sailed from Barcelona the week before and docked in Tunisia on Sunday. GSF representatives released videos alleging an “incendiary device” triggered the fire but claimed the crew managed to put it out. The group argued the attack highlighted efforts to stop their mission to Gaza.
Francesca Albanese, UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur and a Tunisian resident, also appeared in the GSF videos. She called any attack an “assault and aggression against Tunisia, and Tunisian sovereignty.” From the port, she said she was working with local authorities to confirm details.
Background of flotilla efforts
GSF and other organisers said their goal is to challenge what they describe as Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza. However, flotilla missions often face disruption. In June, Israeli forces intercepted a boat with 12 activists, including Thunberg. The activists were taken to Ashdod and later deported.
Israel has argued flotilla missions focus more on publicity than on aid. In past cases, flotillas accused Israel of drone attacks, including one off Malta in May. Malta later confirmed the passengers were safe after a fire on board was extinguished.
Wider regional tensions
The dispute comes amid worsening conditions in Gaza. A UN-backed panel recently confirmed famine in the territory, blaming Israel for blocking aid deliveries. Israel rejected the claim and maintained aid was seized by Hamas. In March, Israel briefly halted all aid before allowing limited shipments under heavy restrictions.
Israel has also faced criticism for creating the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an initiative critics argue undermines impartial aid work.
This latest controversy recalls the deadly 2010 raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, when Israeli commandos killed 10 people on a flotilla headed for Gaza.
Ongoing humanitarian crisis
The Gaza conflict escalated after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which left about 1,200 people dead and more than 250 taken hostage. Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported over 64,000 deaths from Israeli strikes.
The fate of aid flotillas remains a flashpoint, reflecting both political tension and the desperate humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
