UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS
By Betul Yilmaz and Adel Elthabti
ISTANBUL / TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - An investigation is ongoing into a suspected drone attack on a ship of a Gaza-bound flotilla in Tunisia, organizers said on Tuesday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said early Tuesday that one of its main vessels, the “Family Boat,” was struck by what is suspected to be a drone off the coast of Tunisia.
Ghassan al-Hanshiri, a spokesman for the flotilla, told a press conference that the incident was under investigation by the Tunisian authorities.
“The security authorities have conducted all necessary technical procedures and examinations, and a special unit has been assigned with the case. Since the matter carries a confidential nature related to state security, we cannot disclose further details,” Hanshiri said.
“Our mission is to break the siege on Gaza,” the spokesman said. “We don’t want anyone to distract us or change our course. Gaza is the main objective of the Global Sumud Flotilla.”
He said final preparations are ongoing to set sail from Tunisia on Wednesday, urging Tunisians to bid farewell to the flotilla on its way to Gaza.
"We are not stepping back. We will move forward,” said a representative of the Indonesian delegation taking part in the flotilla.
Tunisian authorities, for their part, denied reports about a drone attack on the ship, saying a fire was caused in the boat by a life jacket igniting.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness,” is made up of over 50 ships carrying people from various countries, including doctors, journjournalists, and campaigners. Around 150 activists – including Tunisians, Turkish citizens, and others from Europe, Africa and Asia – are participating in the initiative.
The flotilla set sail from Barcelona in late August along with another group from Genoa, Italy, and is expected to depart Tunisia for Gaza on Wednesday. The initiative aims to challenge Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“I just hope that the tension of the yesterday night will not delay your mission, will not alter your determination to go, and you will stay in the spirit of Sumud, peaceful and determined to sail and reach Gaza and break the siege,” UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese addressed the activists during the press conference.
“If it is not tomorrow, it’s the day after tomorrow,” she added.
Israel has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and pushed the territory’s population into famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.