The activists behind the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza have said one of its main vessels, the Family Boat, was “attacked” by an Israeli drone off the coast of Tunisia, but local authorities have rubbished the claim despite video evidence.
A spokesman for the GSF blamed Israel for the incident, which occurred late on Monday night, but the Tunisian National Guard said reports of a drone attack were “completely unfounded.”
The agency instead suggested that the fire was caused by a cigarette butt or a lighter setting a life jacket ablaze.
However, the GSF have insisted on their version of events and released videos on social media allegedly showing CCTV footage of the incident from the boat which they say confirms an attack did take place.
In one video, crew members can be seen on deck when some sort of projectile hits the boat from above. Fire, smoke and calls for help can be seen and heard after the initial explosion noise.
Footage from another boat appears to show a projectile landing on the deck of the Family Boat, before a flash of light and a large explosion noise.
In a statement released on the GSF Instagram page, the activists vowed to carry on their work despite efforts to derail their mission.
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“Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us. Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve.”
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, journalists and campaigners. Around 150 activists, including Tunisians, Turkish citizens and others from Europe, Africa and Asia, are participating in the initiative.
Their aim is to break the Israeli siege on the war-battered and famine-stricken Gaza Strip. Similar efforts in the past have seen activists beaten, arrested, jailed and even killed by Israeli forces, making the effort a high risk strategy.
According to the GSF, the incident on the Family Boat, which is sailing under a Portuguese flag and carrying the group’s steering committee members, took place at 11:45pm. There were six people on the boat at the time of the drone attack, and some of the passengers quickly extinguished the fire.
All crew members are safe, it said in the statement. There has been no immediate comment from Israel so far.
Israel’s history of violence
Several flotillas have attempted to break the blockade of Gaza in the past.
In 2008, two boats from the Free Gaza Movement, founded in 2006 by activists during Israel’s war on Lebanon, successfully reached Gaza, marking the first breach of Israel’s naval blockade.
Since 2010, however, Israeli forces have intercepted or attacked all such flotillas in international waters, sometimes using deadly force. This includes Israel’s raid on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, during which its commandos killed 10 activists and wounded dozens of others.
There have been three attempts to break the Israeli siege of Gaza this year. The first one, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aborted in May after drones struck the Conscience ship off the coast of Malta. The FFC blamed Israel for the attack.
The other bids, on the Madleen and Handala, were intercepted by Israeli forces off the coast of Gaza in international waters, and activists were detained and deported.
The GSF organisers say the latest attempt is the largest maritime mission to Gaza, bringing together more than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries. Its participants include Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and French actress Adele Haenel.
The first convoy of the flotilla departed from Spanish ports on August 31 and arrived in Tunisia last week. The group was due to depart from Tunis on Wednesday.
Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza entered its 700th day on Friday, with Israeli forces having killed more than 64,500 Palestinians. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing 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.
