Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Wednesday sharply condemned overnight attacks on ships in a flotilla sailing from Europe toward the Gaza Strip, saying he had ordered an Italian navy vessel to escort the convoy and provide assistance if needed.
Crosetto did not attribute responsibility for the strikes, which activists said occurred off the coast of Greece. The United Nations also urged a halt to the attacks and called for an investigation.
The alleged attack on one of the flotilla's ships
Flotilla organizers said five boats were targeted overnight by drones. The claims have not been independently verified, and no party has claimed responsibility. The flotilla set sail from Barcelona earlier this month and includes Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Activists previously reported two drone strikes off Tunisia earlier in September.
Omar Fares, one of the participants, told Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, that “sonic bombs” were used against the boats. “We are on a peaceful mission. The damage was minimal. Some of the bombs contained chemicals and had a foul smell. Our morale is high, and our eyes and hearts are on Gaza,” he said.
Flotilla coordinator Wael al-Nour told Qatar’s Al-Araby channel that emergency procedures were activated during the attack and that participants were “fully prepared for all scenarios.”
An Al Jazeera reporter traveling with the convoy said a drone dropped a substance with a gunpowder-like odor on one vessel, without causing injuries, and reported seeing 15 drones flying overhead. The channel later alleged that Israel was running a disinformation campaign to justify a possible strike against the flotilla, which organizers describe as a humanitarian mission to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Hamas accused Israel of carrying out the strikes with military drones, calling the attacks “terrorism and a serious escalation.” The terror group said Israel was trying to intimidate the flotilla to stop it from reaching Gaza.
Meanwhile, U.S. envoy to Lebanon Thomas Barrett suggested in an interview with Sky News Arabia on Tuesday that Israel was behind a drone attack on the flotilla earlier this month off Tunisia. He argued Hezbollah had no reason to disarm, saying: “That is the problem, especially when Israel attacks everyone. Israel is attacking Syria, Israel is attacking Lebanon, Israel is attacking Tunisia.”