Italy, Spain, and Turkey have sent naval frigates to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla, the humanitarian aid flotilla on course for the shores of Gaza. The Flotilla currently consists of over 50 vessels who aim to sail into Gazan territorial waters to deliver humanitarian aid and supplies. The crew consists of politicians, activists, and lawyers, including 2 activists from Glasgow.
The crew of the flotilla claims to have heard 15 to 16 drones, and 13 explosions on or around the vessels on the night of September 23rd, while passing the south of Crete, Greece. It is believed the Israeli Defence Forces are responsible for the attacks.
In response, Georgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister, greatly condemned the attack. The Italian Defense Ministry sent out their first naval frigate to protect the flotilla on Wednesday, 24th of September, and their second on the 25th.
The Defence Minister, Guido Crosseto, stated:
“It is not an act of war, it is not a provocation: It is an act of humanity, which is the duty of a state towards its citizens.”
The Italian public has been captivated by the efforts of the Global Sumud Flotilla, partly due to several Italian politicians being on board the vessels. On Monday, 22nd of September, mass strike action was carried out in cities all across Italy, with an estimated 500,000 people turning out for these protests.
The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, announced on Wednesday that Spain would be joining Italy in sending a naval frigate to support the Global Sumud Flotilla. Speaking from New York, he stated:
“Tomorrow [25th of September] we will dispatch a naval vessel from Cartagena with all necessary resources in case it was necessary to assist the flotilla.”
Spain has also rallied 17 countries, such as Ireland, Brazil and Turkey, in a joint call to Israel to “refrain from any unlawful or violent act against the flotilla, to respect international law and international humanitarian law.”
They threatened doing so would result in accountability in international courts.
On the morning of Monday, 29th of September, journalists on board the flotilla reported a new naval frigate coming to assist. The Turkish Red Crescent sent a vessel to help assist a ship that was taking on water due to a leak. The vessel also distributed additional aid for the flotilla to take to Gaza, in a humanitarian mission by the Turkish Red Crescent.
This comes after reports of a Turkish Drone monitoring the Global Sumud Flotilla on Saturday, amid speculation this was a joint mission with the Egyptian military.
Israel has not taken responsibility for the attacks, however the foreign ministry has stated that they will not let any vessels enter the Gazan territorial waters and will not allow any breach of the naval blockade. They have urged the participants not to break Israeli law and to accept Israel’s proposal “for a peaceful transfer of any aid they might have.”
Participants on the Global Sumud Flotilla have accused the Israeli government of deploying their “most dangerous tactics yet.”
Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish political activist, has warned of more attacks being planned on the flotilla, claiming:
“We have gathered credible intelligence that Israel is likely to direct escalated, violent attacks on the flotilla.”
She also claims several governments have contacted members on the flotilla, warning them of impending attacks that could be “bigger and potentially more dangerous.”
In the UK, 84 MPs including Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana, and Clive Lewis have sent a letter to Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, demanding for immediate protection of British citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla. “We urge you to relay to your Israeli counterparts, in the strongest possible terms, that no harm must come to the flotilla or the British citizens on board,” the letter stated.
Green Party Leader, Zak Polanski, also sent a letter to Cooper, expressing that the government must uphold international law, demanding they gain assurance that the 13 British citizens on board will not be harmed.
The 52 vessel Flotilla set out from Spanish ports on the 31st of August, and has picked up more activists and vessels while passing Italy, Tunisia, and Greece. Participants aim to arrive in Gaza between the 30th of September and the 3rd of October.