Organizers of a Gaza-bound flotilla carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists have reported explosions and multiple drones that targeted some of their boats, currently situated near Greece.
“Multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed, and explosions heard from a number of boats,” the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said in a statement. “We are witnessing these psychological operations first-hand, right now, but we will not be intimidated.”
The German human rights activist Yasemin Acar said in a video she posted on Instagram that five vessels had been attacked. In an earlier video, Acar said the activists had “sighted 15 to 16 drones,” adding that their radios had been jammed as loud music could be heard.
Earlier this month, the GSF said it was attacked by drones over two days while stationed in Tunisia. None of the passengers or crew were harmed during those events.
The flotilla carrying activists, including the Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, set sail from Barcelona in late August to “break the illegal siege of Gaza,” organizers said. It currently comprises 51 vessels, most located off the coast of the Greek island of Crete.
Greece “complicit” in Israeli attacks on flotilla
Israel said Monday it would not allow the flotilla to reach Gaza. It blocked two earlier attempts by activists to reach the region by sea in June and July.
Activists and the New Left party in Greece accused Athens of complicity in the attacks. “At two in the morning, Greek time, the international solidarity fleet Global Sumud Flotilla was attacked nine times with drones, flares, chemicals, and interference by the murderous state of Israel, while it was sailing within the Greek search and rescue (SAR) area,” the New Left emphasizes in a statement.
“This means that the Greek government has the sole responsibility for the protection of the crews and the safety of navigation,” the New Left stated. “Its silence is not simple inaction. It is a violation of international obligations and an act of complicity. When Israel acts unhindered within the Greek SAR, it not only violates human rights but also the very sovereignty and credibility of our country.”
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