In brief
The Global Sumud Flotilla reported that its British-flagged vessel 'Alma' was attacked by a drone while docked in Tunisia. This follows a similar incident involving another boat from the flotilla. Activists assert that these attacks are meant to undermine their efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, amid increasing tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The flotilla's planned mission remains unchanged despite the attacks.
TUNIS, Tunisia — The Global Sumud Flotilla, an international activist group seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, reported it was attacked again in Tunisian waters. On Wednesday, the group announced that their British-flagged vessel, the Alma, was targeted by a drone while docked.
Security camera footage released by the flotilla showed activists on board yelling fire and pointing at the sky as projectiles fell onto the deck, resulting in explosions that ignited a fire. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported.
This incident follows a similar attack the previous night on another vessel, the Portuguese-flagged Family. In response to this earlier attack, Tunisian authorities dismissed claims that drones were involved and stated they were investigating the situation. As of now, there has been no response to the latest attack.
The flotilla, which includes around 20 boats, set sail from Barcelona, Spain, on September 1, carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid and planned to stop in Tunisia before heading to Gaza.
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 stated in their communications. They emphasized that the Global Sumud Flotilla would continue its efforts undeterred. There has been no immediate response from Israeli officials regarding the incident.
