Spain and Italy Send Warships to Escort Gaza Aid Flotilla
Both Italy and Spain have announced plans to send naval vessels to escort a convoy of pro-Palestinian activists en route to Gaza, citing risks to their well-being after a series of apparent drone attacks.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is a protest group with a mission to deliver baby formula, medicine and food to the beach in Gaza, symbolically breaching Israel's naval blockade on the territory. All previous attempts have ended in interdictions and arrests by the Israeli Navy, all in international waters far from Gaza.
This latest mission set off from Barcelona on August 31, headed for a marshalling point in Tunisia. On September 8, while anchored off the small port of Sidi Bou Said, the group reported what its organizers believed to be a drone attack involving an incendiary device. A second, similar incident was reported on September 9.
Undeterred, the group got under way for Gaza with a combined force of 50 small vessels - a mix of fishing boats, workboats and yachts, most under 100 feet in length. On September 24, the group reported another round of suspected drone attacks at a position south of Crete. More than a dozen unique occurrences were reported, including percussion grenades, radio jamming, and an apparently malicious VHF broadcast of a popular song by the band ABBA.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto condemned the attack and said that the Italian Navy frigate Alpino would be dispatched to provide an escort for security purposes, in addition to frigate Virginio Fasan. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez followed suit on Wednesday and said that his government would provide an additional warship, the Furor, a lightly-armed offshore patrol vessel. Both nations have citizens aboard vessels in the flotilla.
"The government of Spain demands that international law be complied with and that the right of its citizens to navigate the Mediterranean under safe conditions be respected," he said.
Israel alleges that the flotilla has been infiltrated by terrorist group Hamas, and that it intends to carry goods to Gaza for Hamas' benefit. Israeli officials have instructed the flotilla's organizers to divert to Ashkelon and offload their supplies in port, where the goods could be loaded on trucks and added to the queue at Gaza's tightly-restricted land border with Israel.
The flotilla's digital tracking platform shows that the boats have paused to regroup off the island of Koufonisi, off the southeastern end of Crete within Greek territorial seas. The tally suggests that so far, 42 vessels have arrived at this staging area.
Italy and Spain deploy navy ships to assist Gaza aid flotilla
The announcements by Rome and Madrid to deploy navy vessels to assist and protect the flotilla come after activists reported several attacks on its ships overnight on Tuesday.
In separate decisions on Wednesday, Spain and Italy announced they would send a navy ship each to assist the aid flotilla to the famine-stricken Gaza, set to break Israel's longstanding blockade of the Strip and deliver crucial aid.
Rome and Madrid's decisions were in response to the latest attack late on Tuesday when activists reported "at least 13 explosions," while drones or aircraft dropped "unidentified objects" on at least 10 boats.
On Wednesday, Italy condemned the attack by "currently unidentified perpetrators" and deployed Fasan multi-purpose frigate for potential rescue operations to assist mainly Italian citizens participating in the flotilla, Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said. Italy informed Israel about the decision.
“In a democracy, demonstrations and forms of protest must also be protected when they are carried out in accordance with international law and without resorting to violence,” Crosetto said.
The country's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned the overnight attack on the flotilla, but called the aid initiative "dangerous and irresponsible." Meloni proposed a plan to hand over the aid in Cyprus to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which would then be in charge of delivering the aid.
According to the Italian premier, the governments of Italy, Cyprus and Israel support the proposal and are awaiting response from the flotilla.
Addressing the Italian Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, Crosetto said another frigate, Alpino, will join the Fasan to further strengthen the Italian naval presence in the area.
"We will continue to do everything possible to avoid incidents, and I ask for your help in this, regardless of political differences. But I want to be very clear: outside of international waters, we are unable to guarantee the safety of the vessels," the Italian defence minister said in his briefing.
Crosetto pointed out that he recommended that the flotilla accept Italy's proposal to deliver the aid through the Church.
"Is it necessary to jeopardise the safety of Italian citizens to bring aid to Gaza? The government has supported the humanitarian effort, we are capable of delivering the aid the flotilla is bringing safely and in a few hours," he emphasised.
Shortly after Italy's announcement on Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will also deploy a patrol vessel "with all necessary resources" to protect and assist the flotilla on its journey to Gaza.
“The Spanish government demands that international law be complied with and that the right of our citizens to navigate the Mediterranean safely be respected,” Sánchez said at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Israel not to 'allow vessels to enter an active combat zone'
Israel has repeatedly said it would not allow the flotilla to reach the Strip, claiming without providing evidence that the convoy is "organised by Hamas".
"If the flotilla participants’ genuine wish is to deliver humanitarian aid rather than serve Hamas, Israel calls on the vessels to dock at the Ashkelon Marina and unload the aid there, from where it will be transferred promptly in a coordinated manner to the Gaza Strip," Israel's Foreign Ministry wrote on X on Monday.
"Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach of a lawful naval blockade," the ministry said. "Is this about aid or about provocation," it concluded.
Brazilian activist and one of the activists on the flotilla, Thiago Ávila, emphasised the group would not abandon its mission.
"The Global Sumud Flotilla is a peaceful, non-violent, humantarian mission, which is abiding by international law, wich says in the ICJ (International Court of Justice) provisional ruling that no country can hinder humanitarian aid trying to get to Gaza," Ávila said in a video statement on Instagram.
The flotilla is a civilian fleet of over 50 small vessels from 44 countries, aimed at breaking an 18-year-long Israeli blockade of the Strip, long predating Israel's current war in Gaza, which started in October 2023 following an attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel. Israel says the blockade is needed to keep Hamas from importing arms, while critics call it collective punishment.
Since the aid flotilla set sail from Spain at the start of September, activists have reported several attacks on the convoy, including on several boats in Greek waters on Tuesday, and on two leading ships in Tunisian waters earlier this month.
While there is no concrete evidence, activists have accused Israel of being behind the attacks.
In July, the unarmed Freedom flotilla was boarded by Israeli forces in international waters, while it was en route carrying supplies to the Strip.
UN urges probe into Gaza-bound flotilla
drone ‘attacks’ as Italy sends warship
The UN on Wednesday called for an independent probe into alleged drone attacks on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla off Greece, while Italy dispatched a navy frigate to assist. The convoy, carrying 500+ activists including Greta Thunberg, aims to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
Issued on: 24/09/2025
By: FRANCE 24
The United Nations called Wednesday for an investigation into alleged drone "attacks" against a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, saying anyone responsible for the "violations" should be held accountable.
"There must be an independent, impartial and thorough investigation into the reported attacks and harassment by drones and other objects" on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which said a dozen explosions were heard around its ships late Tuesday, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement.
Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced earlier Wednesday that his country will send a navy frigate to assist the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, after organisers said several of their boats had been targeted by drones off Greece.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said more than a dozen explosions were heard around the flotilla late Tuesday, with damage caused by "unidentified objects" dropped on deck.
Crosetto said he "authorised the immediate intervention of the Italian Navy's multi-purpose frigate Fasan, which was sailing north of Crete as part of Operation Safe Sea".
"The vessel is already en route to the area for possible rescue operations", he said in a statement posted on X.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) set sail from Barcelona this month with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid.
Israel, which blocked two previous attempts by activists to reach Gaza by sea in June and July, has said it will not allow the flotilla to reach the embattled Palestinian territory.
"Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade," foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein told AFP.
"If their intentions are sincere, they should transfer any such aid to the nearby Ashkelon Marina so it can be forwarded promptly to the Gaza Strip in a non-violent manner," he said.
Several of the boats reported explosions Tuesday and unidentified objects being dropped on and near boats, causing damage and widespread obstruction in communications, GSF said.
It accused Israel of "endangering the 500+ unarmed civilians aboard the flotilla" that is carrying activists from 45 countries, including Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg.
"The drones that have been following us for days have detonated an explosive device, knocking off the boat's jib, and we're at risk of the mast falling," said Stefano Bertoldi, an Italian activist with the climate group "Ultima Generazione" (Last Generation) that is sailing in the flotilla.
Bertoldi issued several maydays as the explosions rang out, Last Generation said in a statement.
Crosetto expressed "the strongest condemnation" of the "attack" by "currently unidentified perpetrators".
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had asked Israel to ensure the safety of "Italian citizens, along with members of parliament and MEPs".
He has already informed Israel that "any operation entrusted to Israeli forces must be conducted in compliance with international law and the principle of absolute caution," the ministry said in a statement.
Tajani has also asked the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to "reiterate its previous request to the Israeli government to guarantee the absolute protection of the personnel on board," it said.
The Global Sumud Flotilla currently numbers 51 vessels, most of which are off the Greek island of Crete.
Vessels waiting to join the flotilla had already been targeted in two suspected drone attacks in Tunisia.
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Maritime escort
The Greek coastguard told AFP that a patrol boat from the EU borders agency Frontex had approached one vessel and saw no evidence of damage.
Contacted at its Warsaw headquarters, Frontex could not immediately confirm or deny the incident.
Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which has a senator on one of the boats, called on the EU "to intervene immediately to defend the vessels flying the flags of member states" by providing "protection and maritime escort through the deployment of Frontex vessels".
The pro-Palestinian Global Sumud Flotilla describes itself as an independent group not linked to any government or political party.
Sumud is Arabic word for "resilience".
Israel has launched a major air and ground offensive on Gaza City in a bid to root out Hamas after nearly two years of war.
During that time, Israeli military operations have killed at least 65,419 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, figures the UN considers reliable.
Hamas's attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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