ATHENS/ROME, Sept 24 — An international aid flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza said on Wednesday that it was attacked overnight by drones in international waters off Greece, prompting Italy to send a navy ship to come to its assistance.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try and break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, with many lawyers and activists onboard, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
The vessels were attacked by 12 drones in international waters 30 nautical miles off the Greek island of Gavdos, said March to Gaza Greece's spokesman Marikaiti Stasinou, whose organisation is part of the flotilla.
She told Reuters that passengers are safe after drones exploded over the vessels.
In a statement, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the sea convoy had been targeted by "currently unidentified perpetrators". He expressed the "strongest condemnation" of the incident.
Crosetto noted that the Italian multi-purpose frigate Fasan, previously sailing north of Crete, was "already on route" towards the flotilla "for possible rescue operations."
An Italian official said the navy had been mobilised primarily to help Italians on board.
"If needed, our frigate has a well-stocked infirmary", he said.
Israel has repeatedly criticised the flotilla, accusing its activists of complicity with the Hamas militant group.
On Wednesday, its Foreign Ministry warned on X (formerly Twitter) that Israel "would take the necessary measures" to stop it if it did not accept the alternative proposal to drop aid in an Israeli port, leaving it to Israeli authorities to take it to Gaza.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the overnight attack.
Stun grenades
Benedetta Scuderi, an Italian member of the European Parliament for the leftist Greens-European Free Alliance group who has joined the flotilla, told Italian public radio RAI that drones had dropped stun grenades.
She said that one of them hit the mast of the sailing boat on which she is travelling, "completely damaging" the main sail.
"We are in international waters south of Crete, and we were attacked for three hours without anyone intervening," Scuderi said.
A Greek coastguard official told Reuters that members of the flotilla contacted them around 2am on Wednesday to inform them of the incident. However, when approached by the European Union's border agency Frontex, the flotilla said it did not require assistance.
Thunberg said several boats suffered damage after they reported targeted explosions and unidentified objects dropping.
"We were aware of the risks of these kinds of attacks, so that is nothing that is going to stop us," she said in a conversation with United Nations Palestinian Territories expert Francesca Albanese, which was broadcast live on Instagram on Wednesday.
"We are very, very determined to continue our mission," Thunberg added.
Earlier this month, the flotilla reported drone attacks on its boats while moored in a Tunisian port.
