The Sumud flotilla, participating in the humanitarian mission to Gaza, has come under its first “intimidating attacks” from Israeli vessels. The flotilla has already crossed the “red zone” and this morning was located approximately 110 nautical miles off the coast of Israel.
“Some of the more than 40 vessels of the World Flotilla Sumud were approached by unknown ships and others suffered damage to their communication systems,” reported a journalist from the Spanish newspaper El País, who is accompanying the flotilla.
“Israeli Navy ships are approaching. We are preparing for interception. The operation of security cameras on many ships has been disrupted,” said mission officials.
Activists also reported that the international flotilla’s ships, Sirius and Alma, were damaged after being targeted by Israeli ships for several minutes during manoeuvres. “We had our first encounter with Israeli Navy ships, which surrounded our first vessel for about six minutes, remotely deactivating all our communication systems. The captain was forced to make difficult manoeuvres to avoid a head-on collision,” a mission spokesperson said. “After the intimidating attack on the Alma, the warship headed towards another ship, the Sirius, and performed the same manoeuvres for a longer period until it left. We expect another major escalation in a few hours and are prepared for it,” they added.
The activists aboard the flotilla, in messages on social media, emphasised: “We continue our journey, undeterred by Israel’s threats and intimidation tactics.” The word “Sumud,” after all, means “steadfast perseverance” in Arabic.
Confrontation with Israel
“The flotilla is still in international waters, but the fear is that the moment of direct confrontation with the Israeli navy is approaching as it nears the Gaza coast,” the Spanish newspaper reports. “The approximately 45 vessels that are continuing the mission—about 12 have been left behind due to various problems—have reached the area that Israel has designated as a ‘red interception zone’.”
There is already “a marked increase in the activity of Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles, while an Israeli warship has set sail from the port of Ashdod towards the international flotilla,” El País added. “The Israeli warship is expected to reach the critical area and meet the flotilla around 16:00 (Cyprus time).”
Riccardo Ricciardi, a leader of the Italian Five Star Movement in Parliament, posted a photo on Facebook of an Israeli ship taken by his colleague, MP Marco Croatti, who is on the flotilla. He wrote: “That ship over there is Israel. Over there is a genocidal government. Over here are unarmed people bringing aid.”
Italian and Spanish warships have left
The warships from Spain and Italy that were accompanying the flotilla have already left. The former mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, who is also aboard the Spanish ship Alma of the flotilla, stated that “the Spanish frigate will remain at a distance, which is a disappointment.”
“The volunteers can only be disappointed,” the former mayor of Barcelona said. “Initially, it was good news that Spain sent a frigate, but now we are disappointed to know that the frigate will remain at a distance, that it will not accompany us on the final leg of the journey, and that it will only be there to perform an emergency rescue,” Colau said in an interview with TVE. “We had hoped that the frigate would accompany us on the humanitarian mission and provide effective diplomatic protection,” she added, urging governments, especially European ones, “not to hesitate and to stop Israel, because it is endangering all of humanity.”
Israel: “They are serving Hamas”
Israel continues to believe that the flotilla’s ships, which have suffered up to three drone attacks since the start of their journey a month ago, are serving Hamas. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the rejection of its offer to leave the humanitarian aid at a port under its control for “peaceful” distribution demonstrates that the flotilla’s goal is not to deliver aid, but rather “to serve Hamas.”
The activists argue that there are dozens of trucks of humanitarian aid at the Egyptian border with Gaza and that Israel does not allow them to enter. Therefore, they cannot trust the Israeli authorities to transport the food and medicine they are carrying to the population of Gaza.
(Information from Naftemporiki.gr)
