Why have Spain and Italy sent ships to assist the Gaza Sumud flotilla?

Italy and Spain person decided this week to dispatch naval vessels to assistance the Global Sumud Flotilla connected its mode to interruption Israel’s siege of Gaza.

The unprecedented determination to enactment a flotilla headed towards the Palestinian enclave comes aft repeated attacks against the Sumud Flotilla, including a drone onslaught aboriginal connected Wednesday.

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Israel is wide believed to beryllium down the attacks. However, successful keeping with galore of its suspected overseas operations, the authorities has not commented. Israeli rhetoric against the flotilla, however, has escalated.

Early successful the voyage, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the activists connected committee “terrorists” and said they should beryllium treated arsenic such. More recently, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has repeatedly urged the flotilla to unload its cargo successful Israeli territory, described the effort to present assistance arsenic a “jihadist initiative”.

So however overmuch information is the flotilla in, and volition the Spanish and Italian naval ships marque immoderate difference?

Here’s what we know:

How overmuch hazard is determination to the flotilla?

The Global Sumud Flotilla has said it expects an “imminent” Israeli onslaught present that it is nearing Gaza. Israel itself has said it volition “not let immoderate vas to participate the progressive combat zone” and breach its naval blockade of Gaza.

Three erstwhile attempts to likewise present assistance to Gaza this twelvemonth person been intercepted by Israeli forces.

In May, the Conscience was attacked and forced to instrumentality to larboard successful Malta aft being targeted by drones. An effort successful June was besides blocked by Israel erstwhile the Madleen was intercepted successful planetary waters and its unit detained. A 3rd effort successful July by the Handala was intercepted by Israeli forces successful planetary waters and its unit detained.

The British-flagged yacht Madleen was seized by the Israeli subject arsenic it approached Gaza successful June [File: Nir Elias/Reuters]

What person the Italian and Spanish governments said?

Speaking extracurricular the United Nations General Assembly successful New York connected Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been among Israel’s astir salient critics, told reporters: “The authorities of Spain demands that planetary instrumentality beryllium complied with and that the close of its citizens to navigate the Mediterranean nether harmless conditions beryllium respected.”

El Gobierno de España exige que se cumpla la ley internacional y que se respete el derecho de sus ciudadanos a navegar por el Mediterráneo en condiciones de seguridad.

Mañana mismo zarpará desde Cartagena un buque de acción marítima equipado con todos los medios por si fuese… pic.twitter.com/FRR6FNMRBV

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 24, 2025

The presumption of Italy and its right-wing government, which has often backed Israel, is little clear. Despite the beingness of a fig of Italian citizens, including parliamentarians, connected committee the flotilla, Italy’s subject enactment for the ngo appears conditional.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the flotilla’s ngo arsenic “gratuitous, unsafe and irresponsible” and, speaking extracurricular the UN connected Wednesday, urged the flotilla to manus implicit its assistance successful Cyprus to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which would past administer it. That was rejected by the Global Sumud Flotilla.

But Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto connected Wednesday said sending the navy vessel was “an enactment of humanity”.

“It is not an enactment of war. It is not a provocation. It is an enactment of humanity, which is simply a work of a authorities towards its citizens,” helium said successful parliament.

While Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has dispatched vessels to assistance the Global Sumud Flotilla, she has described its ngo arsenic ‘gratuitous, unsafe and irresponsible’ [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]

How fashionable is enactment for Palestine successful Spain and Italy?

Both Spain and Italy person ample pro-Palestinian movements that person been galvanised by Israel’s genocide successful Gaza.

Mass protests and larboard blockades were held successful Italy implicit the weekend, highlighting wide enactment for the Palestinian origin successful the country, adjacent arsenic the Italian authorities refuses to travel galore of its European neighbours successful recognising Palestinian statehood.

In Spain, enactment connected the streets for Palestine has translated into authoritative authorities enactment – with Sanchez becoming 1 of the astir vocal satellite leaders successful criticising Israel. The premier curate has approved a afloat arms embargo connected Israel and has called for Israel to not beryllium allowed to vie successful planetary sport.

A cycling squad named aft Israel led to ample protests successful this month’s Vuelta contention crossed Spain – demonstrations that were backed by Sanchez.

So what are the ships and wherefore are they there?

Italy primitively sent the naval frigate Virginio Fasan, which neared the flotilla earlier being replaced by the frigate Alpino.

The Italian navy has said the vas sent by Italy would not person immoderate escort duties.

The Spanish patrol vas Furor sailed from the Spanish larboard metropolis of Cartagena connected Thursday, headed for the eastbound Mediterranean.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain had accepted a petition from Belgium to assistance Belgian citizens connected committee the flotilla and was holding conversations with Ireland connected the aforesaid topic. He added that the Global Sumud Flotilla was a humanitarian ngo and did not airs a menace to anyone.

Is planetary instrumentality connected the flotilla’s side?

Under planetary law, civilians engaged successful delivering humanitarian aid, specified arsenic the volunteers connected committee the flotilla, are protected nether the presumption of the Geneva Convention.

According to the flotilla’s organisers, immoderate onslaught connected the flotilla would represent a breach of some planetary instrumentality and the provisional bid instructions of the International Court of Justice successful January 2024 instructing Israel to let humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

The flotilla receives further extortion nether the UN Convention connected the Law of the Sea. This guarantees state of navigation and “innocent passage” successful territorial waters arsenic agelong arsenic the flotilla does not endanger bid oregon security.

Under maritime law, the Italian and Spanish vessels whitethorn enactment arsenic deterrents and assistance successful immoderate hunt and rescue operations but different person to run wrong strict ineligible limits. In practice, these rules restrict their relation to protecting and supporting the flotilla without encroaching upon Israeli territory.