Lead ship of Flotilla for Gaza struck by drone off Tunisia, organisers say

A drone reportedly struck the leading ship of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) at a Tunisian port overnight into Tuesday, prior to its departure to Gaza, the flotilla's organisers have said.

The Portuguese-flagged boat, known as the "Family Boat", carried aid and activists, including climate activist Greta Thunberg. The convoy, aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade of famine-stricken Gaza, had arrived at the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said on Sunday.

Tunisian authorities have denied claims that a drone struck the boat, and say that the fire broke out on the vessel itself, according to several press agencies.

Videos posted on the GSF's social media accounts, however, show a luminous flying object striking the boat from above.

According to the organisers, the flaming projectile hit the lifejackets on board. All passengers and crew are safe.

The strike occurred around midnight while one of the crew members was livestreaming. After the strike, the crew were heard yelling for help as smoke rose from the point of impact.

"I was on deck on the back part of the ship, and I heard a drone. I came out of the covering of the deck to see a drone hovering about 3 to 4 metres above my head," one of the crew said at a press conference on Tuesday morning, adding that him and other crew members saw the drone move to the forward part of the deck, dropping a bomb, which resulted in a fire on board.

"Fire damage was caused to the main deck and below deck storage," a statement released by the GSF read.

GSF in final stage of preparations to depart to Gaza, crew says

"Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us, our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve," the statement concluded.

According to one of the activists on board, the crew members are in their final moments of preparations for departure of the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza.

"If it is confirmed that this is a drone attack, it would be an assault, an aggression, against Tunisia and Tunisian sovereignty," UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who was at the port, said in a recorded video.

"Of course it will have to be verified, but there is a history of attacks on the flotilla, there are current statements against the flotilla, threatening the flotilla, from Israel," she added.

For 18 years, Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip, which was further tightened in October 2023, at the start of the war in Gaza.

"For 17 years, there have been attempts to break this illegal siege. During these 17 years, 37 boats have either been intercepted or attacked. This is boat number 38 that suffered from an attack," Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila said at the press conference on Tuesday.

"They have drones, they have the violence, they have the weapons, but we have everything else. We have history on our side," Ávila added.

In July, the unarmed Freedom flotilla was boarded by Israeli forces in international waters, while it was en route carrying life-saving supplies to Gaza.

After the incident, a crowd of supporters gathered at the port to condemn the attack.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is a citizen-led fleet, aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering aid to the Strip. The convoy consists of around 50 boats, and activists from 44 countries.

Last week, dozens of vessels left the port of Barcelona in Spain, and were joined by another convoy in Italy's Genoa. After several delays, the convoy arrived in Tunisian waters on Sunday, and is expected to depart for Gaza on Wednesday.

The incident occurred a few hours before Israel urged a complete evacuation of Gaza City in the north of the Strip as it expands its military operation there.

Israel's war on Gaza began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people.

Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently holding 50, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date resulted in the deaths of more than 64,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry whose figures do not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

Large swathes of Gaza have been levelled, and most of the territory's more than 2 million people have been displaced. The UN last month declared a famine was taking place in the Gaza governorate, and expects it will expand to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis by the end of this month.