Drone strikes Gaza aid ship carrying activist Greta Thunberg, causing fire on deck

A drone attacked the lead ship of the Global Sumud Flotilla early Tuesday morning causing a fire on deck, said the aid group. The extent of the damage is not serious, according to sources within the organization, which is trying to break the Israeli blockade and bring aid to Gaza, where over half a million people are experiencing famine according to a new UN-backed food security report.

The investigation suggests that the drone launched a projectile, igniting the flames, which were extinguished minutes later. The vessel was in the port of Tunis, in Tunisia, where it arrived on Sunday amid a warm welcome from hundreds of people. Six crew members were on board at the time of the attack, standing guard to prevent acts of sabotage, but none were injured.

The ship, known as the Family Boat, is one of the main vessels in the flotilla and carries the organization’s steering committee as well as the mission’s most prominent activists, including Greta Thunberg of Sweden and Thiago Ávila of Brazil. Tunisian authorities have denied the drone attack and claimed that the fire likely started in a life jacket, caused by either a cigarette butt or a lighter.

“The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) confirms that one of the main boats, known as the “Family Boat” — that was carrying GSF Steering Committee members, was struck by a drone. The boat was under the Portuguese flag and all passengers and crew are safe,” said the organization on social media. Yasemine Acar, a member of the steering committee, said in a video that “a drone came right above” the vessel, “released a bomb, and it exploded, and the boat was on fire.” She added that the people on the Family Boat were the same ones who sailed on the Madleen, a boat carrying essential medicines that was heading to Gaza in June but was intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters. All crew members, including Thunberg, were detained and deported from Tel Aviv on that occasion.

The Global Sumud Flotilla has ordered the evacuation of all mission vessels, which were also being guarded by crew members and volunteers from various countries, mostly Tunisians, amid fears of further attacks. However, several groups have decided to organize to try to protect the vessels. Dozens of people are currently in the port for this purpose. Local authorities have also arrived to monitor the port.

“Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us,” the steering committee stated. “Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve.”

Around 15 boats arrived at the port of Tunis on Sunday afternoon after departing a week earlier from Barcelona and encountering various problems along the way. They were greeted by hundreds of people shouting “Free Palestine” and waving the country’s flag.

The plan before the incident was to regroup the flotilla in the Tunisian port, as at least seven vessels are behind schedule due to various breakdowns and are expected to arrive in Tunis on Tuesday. The idea was to set sail on Wednesday along with another group of ships calling themselves the African Flotilla. In total, it is estimated that around 40 vessels could set sail for Gaza. Around a dozen vessels in Italy and Greece are ready to join the flotilla on the high seas, meaning that nearly 60 vessels will attempt to reach Palestine to break the Israeli blockade.

Francesca Albanese, the UN rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, denounced the incident on social media and called for “protection” from local authorities for the two flotilla ships scheduled to arrive overnight. Albanese is in Tunisia and attended several events in support of the flotilla on Monday, which also included former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, who is aboard one of the ships.

After arriving at the port of Tunis, Thunberg urged everyone to “keep their eyes on Gaza”: “A genocide is being permitted and supported by governments and institutions we voted for and that supposedly represent us. Let this complicity end now,” she added.

Difficulties of all kinds

The various vessels in the flotilla are facing significant difficulties reaching Gaza. Weather conditions prevented the boats from leaving Barcelona, delaying their departure until Monday. A storm then hit and caused the flotilla to split up, and organizers decided to stop along Spain’s Balearic Islands to regroup.

Meanwhile, mechanical and electrical problems continued to occur. Rough seas precipitated engine failures on several vessels, including the Marinette, the sailboat this EL PAÍS reporter is aboard. After losing the engine, there was a significant drop in wind speed, leaving the boat adrift at times and testing the spirits of the six people on board. Finally, despite many difficulties, it was able to reach a port near Tunis to be inspected by a mechanic to assess the condition of the vessel.

The vessels in the flotilla, carrying more than 250 people from 44 different countries, vary widely in size. Some are sailboats around 12 meters long with six or seven people on board, while others are fishing and recreational boats that exceed 20 meters and can accommodate more than 25 people. They all have very different characteristics, which sometimes complicates the pace of sailing as a united flotilla. However, when participants in the mission are asked how they cope with these complexities, the answer is the same: “I couldn’t stay home and look the other way in the face of the genocide in Gaza. We are on the right side of history.”

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