A boat participating in a flotilla delivering aid to Gaza was reportedly hit by a drone in Tunisian waters, according to organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is part of the flotilla.
The Portuguese-flagged vessel, which carried the flotilla’s steering committee, caught fire, causing damage to its main deck and below-deck storage. The flotilla said all six passengers and crew onboard were safe.
Tunisia has denied the drone attack claim, stating that the explosion originated inside the vessel. A National Guard spokesperson told Mosaique FM radio that reports of a drone strike “have no basis in truth.”
Following the incident, dozens gathered at Sidi Bou Said port, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “free Palestine.” A spokesperson for the flotilla said an investigation would be launched, adding that acts of aggression would not deter their mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The flotilla is an international initiative aiming to bring aid to Gaza via civilian boats supported by delegations from 44 countries. Israel has maintained a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control in 2007, citing the prevention of weapons reaching the militant group.
Activist Greta Thunberg?s flotilla for Gaza catches fire after being ?hit by drone?
Gaza was also sealed off by land for three months in March, during which no aid was allowed, after Israel claimed Hamas was diverting supplies. Aid groups have warned of mass starvation in the territory. In August, the World Health Organization declared a famine in Gaza, a situation the UN’s humanitarian chief linked to Israel’s obstruction of aid. Israel has disputed these claims, but international pressure has allowed limited aid into the region.
The flotilla’s mission follows a June incident in which Israeli naval forces boarded a British-flagged yacht carrying Greta Thunberg and 11 others, dismissing the aid effort as a propaganda stunt in support of Hamas.