Global Sumud Flotilla determined to continue to Gaza after Tunisia attacks

Attacks connected flotilla described arsenic distractions by activists who program to proceed their travel to extremity Gaza’s blockade.

Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia – Pro-Palestinian participants successful the Global Sumud Flotilla, seeking to extremity the Israeli blockade of Gaza, are adamant that they volition proceed their mission, contempt 2 attacks connected their vessels this week.

Attacks connected the vessels docked astatine Sidi Bou Said larboard successful Tunisia from projectiles connected Monday nighttime and Tuesday nighttime led to nary casualties, but person shaken flotilla participants.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Moment of suspected drone onslaught connected Global Sumud Flotilla boat
• list 2 of 4Global Sumud Flotilla reports drone onslaught connected Gaza-bound vessel successful Tunisia
• list 3 of 4Map: Israel has attacked, intercepted each Gaza-bound flotillas since 2010
• list 4 of 4Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza reports 2nd drone attack

Organisers person blamed Israel for the attacks and said the boats were deed by drones. Tunisian authorities acknowledged the attacks but said nary drones were detected, promising an investigation.

“We are decidedly sailing to Gaza, determination is thing that volition forestall america sailing to Gaza whatsoever,” said Tara Reynor O’Grady, a 55-year-old Irish quality rights activist. “Don’t beryllium distracted by the strikes, they are made to confuse people, past a batch of panic happens, a batch of mendacious accusation goes around, but we are determined, we are wide and focused successful the mode we person to execute our goal, which is to scope Gaza, interruption the siege and unfastened a humanitarian oversea corridor.”

Hundreds of volunteers had assembled connected Wednesday astatine Sidi Bou Said, preparing to acceptable sail. Boats had arrived from Spain connected Sunday, with much vessels joining from Tunisia.

However, the flotilla, named aft the Arabic connection for perseverance, is yet to depart from Tunisia, with preparations continuing.

According to organisers, the program is for a archetypal question of vessels – the ones successful the champion information – to acceptable sail unneurotic to a constituent successful the Mediterranean Sea, wherever they volition rendezvous with different boats departing from ports successful Italy and Greece.

Meanwhile, respective vessels are inactive expected to get successful Tunisia from the archetypal leg, which departed from Barcelona past week. Once repaired and stocked, these ships volition signifier a 2nd wave, departing aft the first, gathering up with the remainder of the flotilla, and mounting people towards the Palestinian shores of the Gaza Strip.

Determined to continue

The attacks earlier this week deed 2 of the flotilla’s ships – the Family boat, which has had respective members of the flotilla’s steering committee, including Swedish clime activistic Greta Thunberg, connected board; and the Alma.

Tadhg Hickey, an Irish comedian, writer and filmmaker who has been connected committee the Alma, told Al Jazeera that the attacks were “mere distractions”.

“As a team, we stay relaxed and focused connected putting our broad grooming into action, and archetypal and foremost our superior extremity of breaking the immoral, amerciable siege of Gaza,” Hickey said.

The flotilla’s steering committee has insisted that the vessels volition proceed connected their mode to Gaza contempt the attacks.

“Israel continues to breach planetary instrumentality and terrorise us. We volition sail to interruption the blockade connected Gaza nary substance what they do,” 1 steering committee member, Saif Abukeshek, said.

An activistic waves a Palestinian emblem successful enactment of the Global Sumud Flotilla arsenic it arrives astatine the larboard of Sidi Bou Said, successful Tunis, Tunisia, connected Sunday, September 7, 2025 [Anis Mili/AP]

Some flotilla participants person had to tract anguished calls from household members disquieted astir their safety.

“My parent recovered retired astir the onslaught portion I was asleep, and she is truly struggling,” said 1 volunteer, who insisted she would transportation connected to Gaza.

Meanwhile, different activists are disquieted that they whitethorn not beryllium capable to get a spot connected a vas – with the fig of radical hoping to articulation the flotilla present exceeding the disposable places connected participating ships – the nonstop fig of which has been guarded for information reasons.

“I anticipation I tin get a spot successful 1 of the ships, but I deliberation it’s going to beryllium difficult,” said Andrea, a Mexican activistic surviving successful Austria.