Africa

Gaza-Bound Flotilla in Tunisia Reports Second Suspected Drone Strike

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu Gaza-Bound Flotilla in Tunisia Reports Second Suspected Drone Strike

Chioma Ndukwu 4 months ago 2 min read

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

The Global Sumud Flotilla has reported a second suspected drone attack on one of its vessels as the aid convoy prepares to sail from Tunisia toward the besieged Gaza Strip.

“Another boat has been hit in a suspected drone attack. No injuries reported. Updates to follow soon,” the flotilla announced on Instagram on Tuesday.

Activist Leila Hegazy, who was on duty during the incident, confirmed that the targeted vessel was the Alma. “This is drone strike number two on one of the boats,” she said. “We hope this is not a nightly occurrence, because they are playing lots of games.”

Another activist recounted seeing the drone hovering just 20 feet overhead before it ignited a small fire. “We sounded the alarm. We yelled. We had the hoses ready, and it was out within two minutes,” they said.

A livestream from the Alma later confirmed that the fire was contained, with no serious damage to the vessel or injuries to crew members. Still, flotilla members described the repeated strikes as “a serious threat” to their mission.

“This is not a coincidence, and it’s not an accident. Two nights in a row is clearly intimidation,” one activist said. “But we will not be deterred.”

The Alma attack follows an earlier reported drone strike on the flotilla’s flagship, the Family Boat, off the Tunisian coast. Organisers say both incidents are part of a campaign to intimidate volunteers ahead of their planned departure for Gaza on Wednesday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla — named after the Arabic word for “steadfastness” — includes more than 50 boats carrying around 150 activists from across the world, among them doctors, journalists, and campaigners from Tunisia, Türkiye, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The initiative began its journey in late August, with some vessels departing from Barcelona and Genoa before regrouping in Tunisia.

The flotilla’s mission is to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. Organisers say they aim to draw global attention to the worsening crisis in the enclave, where the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warned last month that famine has taken hold in the north and could spread further.

Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left the territory in ruins.

The International Criminal Court last November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Despite the risks, flotilla participants say they remain committed to completing their journey. “This is about breaking the siege and standing with the people of Gaza,” one activist said. “We will not be silenced by threats.”