Gaza aid flotilla reports second drone attack in Tunisian port
An international activist flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza said on Wednesday that it was attacked for the second night in a row.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said that one of its boats, the British-flagged “Alma,” was hit by a drone as it was docked in the Sidi Bou Said port in Tunisian waters.
The group shared security camera footage showing people on board shouting “fire” and pointing to the sky.
Projectiles on fire fell on the deck, exploding and setting off a blaze. Organisers said all passengers and crew were unharmed.
Another boat from the flotilla, the Portuguese-flagged “Family”, had suffered a similar assault the night before. Tunisian authorities on Tuesday denied that this first attack had been caused by drones and said they were investigating the cause.
“These repeat attacks come during intensified Israeli aggression on Palestinians in Gaza, and are an orchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission," the activists said in a press release. “The Global Sumud Flotilla continues undeterred.”
There was no immediate reaction from Israeli authorities.
United Nations experts - including the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for the occupied Palestinian territories - expressed support for the flotilla and demanded full protection of its passengers.
“Any attempt to block the flotilla would constitute a grave violation of international law and humanitarian principles,” the experts said in a statement on Tuesday
The Global Sumud Flotilla is made of around 20 boats carrying humanitarian aid that departed from Spain on Sept. 1st. It had planned a stop in Tunisia before sailing on to Gaza.
Participants onboard come from at least 44 countries, and include Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is the latest effort by international activists to break Israel's 18-year-long blockade of Gaza. Founded in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition launched a series of boats carrying humanitarian aid this year, including the Madleen aid vessel in June.
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