Global Sumud Flotilla reports drone attack on Gaza-bound ship in Tunisia

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), bound for the Gaza Strip, says a drone struck its main vessel successful the Tunisian larboard of Sidi Bou Said, causing a fire, but that each its passengers and unit were safe.

A spokesperson for the GSF blamed Israel for the incident, which occurred precocious connected Monday, but the Tunisian National Guard said reports of a drone onslaught were “completely unfounded”.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4Syria condemns attacks by Israeli warplanes connected cities of Homs and Latakia
• list 2 of 4Netanyahu threatens Gaza residents arsenic UN slams Israel implicit ‘mass killing’
• list 3 of 4Spain imposes full arms embargo connected Israel to halt ‘genocide successful Gaza’
• list 4 of 4Will Trump’s caller Gaza ceasefire connection extremity Israel’s genocide?

The bureau alternatively suggested that the occurrence was caused by a cigaret butt oregon a lighter mounting a beingness overgarment ablaze.

The GSF, however, insisted the incidental was a drone onslaught and said it would supply much details connected Tuesday morning.

There was nary contiguous remark from Israel.

The GSF comprises much than 50 boats, heading for Gaza to interruption the Israeli siege connected the war-battered and famine-stricken Palestinian territory.

According to the GSF, the incidental connected the Family Boat, which is sailing nether a Portuguese emblem and carrying the group’s steering committee members, took spot astatine 11:45pm connected Monday. There were six radical connected the vessel astatine the clip of the drone attack, and immoderate of the passengers rapidly extinguished the fire.

All unit members are safe, it said successful a statement.

The occurrence caused harm to the ship’s main platform and below-deck storage, it said.

‘Huge explosion’

The GSF posted aggregate videos connected societal media that it said showed the infinitesimal the onslaught took place.

One video, taken from different vas adjacent the Family Boat, showed an incendiary instrumentality falling connected the boat, causing an explosion. Another video, captured connected the Family Boat’s information cameras, shows unit members looking up and jumping backmost earlier an explosion.

Miguel Duarte, who was connected committee the Family Boat and witnessed the attack, told the Middle East Eye that helium saw a drone hovering implicit the vas earlier it dropped an explosive device.

“I was lasting successful the backmost portion of the ship, the aft deck, and I heard a drone,” Duarte said successful the video posted online by MEE.

“I saw a drone intelligibly astir 4 metres [13 feet] supra my head. I called someone. We were looking astatine the drone, conscionable supra our heads, really,” helium recounted.

The drone stopped adjacent to the 2 unit members, past moved dilatory to the guardant platform of the ship, and dropped what was “obviously a bomb”, helium said.

“There was a immense explosion, tons of fire, big, large flames … We could person been killed,” Duarte added.

Members of the GSF held Israel liable for the attack, noting the Israeli military’s past assaults connected ships bound for Gaza.

“There is nary different authorization that would bash specified an attack, specified a crime, but the Israeli authorities,” spokesperson Saif Abukeshek said successful a video posted connected the GSF’s authoritative Instagram page.

“They person been committing genocide for the past 22 months, and they are consenting to onslaught a peaceful, non-violent flotilla,” helium added.

Tunisia’s National Guard, however, denied reports of a drone attack, saying connected its Facebook leafage that archetypal investigations amusement the occurrence broke retired successful 1 of the beingness jackets connected the vessel “as a effect of a lighter oregon cigaret butt”.

It added, “There was nary grounds of immoderate hostile enactment oregon outer targeting.”

The GSF aboriginal announced it would clasp a quality league astatine 10am section clip connected Tuesday (09:00 GMT) to update the media and the nationalist astir the attack.

The United Nations peculiar rapporteur connected Palestine, Francesca Albanese, who is taking portion successful the flotilla, said portion details of the onslaught person to beryllium verified, Israel has a agelong past of attacking Gaza-bound ships.

“If it’s confirmed that this is simply a drone attack, it volition beryllium an battle and aggression against Tunisia and against Tunisian sovereignty,” Albanese said.

“Again, we cannot support connected tolerating this and normalising the illegal.”

GSF says its ngo volition continue

Several flotillas person attempted to interruption the blockade of Gaza successful the past.

In 2008, 2 boats from the Free Gaza Movement, founded successful 2006 by activists during Israel’s warfare connected Lebanon, successfully reached Gaza, marking the archetypal breach of Israel’s naval blockade.

Since 2010, however, Israeli forces person intercepted oregon attacked each specified flotillas successful planetary waters, sometimes utilizing deadly force. This includes Israel’s raid connected the Mavi Marmara successful 2010, during which its commandos killed 10 activists and wounded dozens of others.

There person been 3 attempts to interruption the Israeli siege of Gaza this year. The archetypal one, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aborted successful May aft drones struck the Conscience vessel disconnected the seashore of Malta. The FFC blamed the onslaught connected Israel.

The different bids, connected the Madleen and Handala, were intercepted by Israeli forces disconnected the seashore of Gaza successful planetary waters, and activists were detained and deported.

The GSF organisers accidental the latest effort is the largest maritime ngo to Gaza, bringing unneurotic much than 50 ships and delegations from astatine slightest 44 countries. Its participants see Swedish activistic Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and French histrion Adele Haenel.

The archetypal convoy of the flotilla departed from Spanish ports connected August 31 and arrived successful Tunisia past week. The radical was owed to depart from Tunis connected Wednesday.

Abukeshek, the GSF spokesman, said the flotilla is determined to proceed the ngo contempt the attack.

“We volition proceed our mentation arsenic soon arsenic we marque definite the ships are harmless and the unit and the participants are safe,” helium said.

“We volition proceed to interruption the siege connected Gaza.”