Spain and Italy have dispatched naval warships to escort the Global Sumud Flotilla after Israeli drones struck six of its ships in the Mediterranean on Wednesday. Flotilla organizers continue to fear heavier attacks are on the horizon.
In a speech to parliament on Thursday, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed that a second frigate, the Alpino, has been deployed to assist a global flotilla in creating a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza.
Crosetto had earlier condemned Wednesday’s drone assault on the Sumud flotilla near Greek waters, and ordered the dispatch of the first vessel, Fasan.
A day earlier, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain would join Italy in supporting the Global Sumud Flotilla at sea. “Tomorrow, we will launch a warship from Cartagena, fully equipped, to support the flotilla or conduct a rescue mission if needed,” Sánchez announced during a UN General Assembly press conference.
“The Spanish government insists on the protection of international law and on our citizens' right to sail the Mediterranean safely,” he stressed.
The flotilla was rocked early Wednesday by a drone barrage that rained down stun bombs and projectiles on 6 of its ships, causing material damage but no casualties, according to organizers. The attack—launched without warning, jolting the mission but did not sink it.
As regional waters grew more volatile, multiple governments reportedly warned their citizens on board of an imminent Israeli strike, organizers told Al Jazeera Arabic. In a tactical maneuver, flotilla organizers redirected their course overnight, cautiously sailing into Greek territorial waters to avoid another hit.
By midday Thursday, flotilla command issued a signal flare of its own. In a statement posted to their Telegram channel, calling an emergency press conference and citing “credible intelligence” of a brewing Israeli offensive.
“Credible intelligence indicating that Israel is likely to escalate violent attacks on the flotilla within the next 48 hours, potentially using weapons that could sink boats, injure and/or kill participants,” the statement read.
Earlier this month, while docked in Tunisia, two Global Sumud Flotilla boats were also struck with incendiary drones. No perpetrator has claimed responsibility, but activists on board have pointed to Israeli officials’ public threats to the flotilla.
On Tuesday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs had publicly sharpened its threatening rhetoric in the lead up to the flotilla’s imminent arrival. In a statement posted to X, the ministry threatened that “Israel will take the necessary measures to prevent its entry into the combat zone and to stop any violation of a lawful naval blockade,” if the flotilla organizers refuse Israel’s proposal to “transfer any such aid to the Ashkelon Marina so it can be forwarded promptly to the Gaza Strip in a peaceful and non-violent manner.”
While the Israeli MFA stated it will make “every possible effort to ensure the safety of its passengers,” it has repeatedly referred to the flotilla as the “Hamas flotilla,” even going so far as to accuse its organizers of being active Hamas operatives.
The Sumud flotilla set sail from Barcelona with more than 300 activists, later stopping in Tunisia, where additional ships joined the convoy. Organizers continue to maintain that their mission is to deliver humanitarian aid, challenge Israel’s exclusive control of the enclave’s crossings, and spotlight the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
