EU MPs seek protection from France and EU after drone attack on Gaza-bound Flotilla

Multiple drones targeted a flotilla of Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ships carrying over 500 volunteers, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Franco-Palestinian lawmaker Rima Hassan, in the waters south of Crete on Wednesday, and the crew reported explosions, chemical sprays, and communications jamming during the attack.

Similar drone strikes had been reported earlier on the convoy, which set sail from Spain on 1 September, and the latest incidents were described as the most severe and dangerous since the mission began.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said several of its vessels were hit by sound bombs and explosive flares while drones circled overhead, and activists, including Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Avila, reported hearing more than a dozen explosions on or near multiple boats, according to the Independent.

Communications on board were disrupted by jamming devices, which blocked distress calls, and unidentified objects were reportedly dropped on some ships, although the full extent of the damage remained unclear.

Activists stated that the attacks escalated as the flotilla approached Gaza, suggesting that the tactics were aimed at intimidation and preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. Members of the convoy described the incidents as part of a pattern of harassment, which had included previous attacks in Tunisian waters, and they insisted that the vessels carry no weapons and pose no threat, with German human rights activist Yasemin Acar emphasising the civilian nature of the mission.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese highlighted the repeated attacks on the convoy and called for international protection for the humanitarian mission, and European lawmakers, including Manon Aubry, head of the Left in Europe bloc in the European Parliament, demanded that France and the European Union take immediate action to safeguard the flotilla.

Organisers said the mission aims to deliver medical supplies and food to Gaza, where residents face widespread hunger due to the Israeli naval blockade, and they emphasised that the operation is protected under international law.

Despite the flotilla’s insistence on continuing its mission, Israel maintained that no vessels would be allowed to breach the blockade and proposed that the aid be unloaded at the port of Ashkelon for transfer into Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the naval measures as lawful and warned that participants should not attempt to enter what it called an active combat zone.

The flotilla consists of a multinational group including doctors, lawyers, politicians, and activists, and organisers said the volunteers are part of a civilian effort to break the blockade and provide humanitarian assistance.