Drones from Turkey circle Gaza aid flotilla as boats sail east 

Boats, portion of the Global Sumud Flotilla aiming to scope Gaza and interruption Israel's naval blockade, sail disconnected the Greek islet Koufonisi past Friday. [Stefanos Rapanis/Reuters]

Turkey has joined Greece, Italy and Spain successful monitoring an planetary flotilla carrying assistance for Gaza that was sailing eastbound crossed the Mediterranean Sea connected Monday contempt warnings from Israel to stop the mission, formation information show.

Flight tracking websites showed that three long-endurance drones originating from Turkey’s Corlu airbase person been circling implicit the flotilla for three days, highlighting the increasing planetary involvement successful the boats which person vowed to breach an Israeli naval blockade astir the embattled Gaza Strip.

Reuters was unable to corroborate the crushed for the drone flights. Turkey’s overseas and defence ministries and the quality bureau did not respond to requests for comment.

FLOTILLA RESUMES JOURNEY AFTER REPAIRS

The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of civilian boats carrying parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish clime campaigner Greta Thunberg, was still hundreds of miles disconnected the Gaza coastline connected Monday. But it was approaching an country where different flotillas person antecedently been intercepted, radical connected committee said. Tracking sites showed astir 40 boats successful the flotilla.

Its beforehand has raised planetary tensions, particularly aft a drone onslaught past week damaged some boats. No 1 was injured, but the flotilla had to intermission for respective days successful Greek waters for repairs earlier mounting sail again for Gaza implicit the weekend.

Organizers said connected Monday that the ngo was present expected to scope Gaza successful astir 4 days.

Italy and Spain person deployed navy ships to travel the flotilla successful lawsuit of rescue oregon humanitarian needs, but person said they will not prosecute militarily. Greece’s coastguard had besides monitored advancement while the flotilla was successful its rescue area.

Italy warned connected Sunday that the flotilla was nearing a high-risk zone and repeated a connection made past week for the flotilla to take the assistance to Cyprus for eventual organisation successful Gaza by the Roman Catholic Church. The flotilla rejected the idea.

CONCERNS OVER POSSIBLE ISRAELI RESPONSE

“Israel has shown respective times it has nary reddish lines so it is wide that we are worried by what it could do. We will evidently bash everything to person a peaceful, non-violent stance,” Italian European Parliament member, Benedetta Scuderi, told Italy’s Radio 24 connected Monday from aboard the flotilla.

Israel did not remark connected past week’s drone incidental but has antecedently said it will use immoderate means to forestall the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is ineligible arsenic it battles Hamas militants successful the coastal enclave.

Italy’s La Stampa paper reported that Israeli President Isaac Herzog connected Sunday had assured the Italian ambassador to Israel that Israel would “not use lethal force” against the flotilla members. Reuters was not instantly capable to corroborate that message.

Israel began its Gaza violative aft the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught connected Israel successful which some 1,200 radical were killed and 251 taken arsenic hostages backmost to Gaza. The violative has killed implicit 65,000 radical successful Gaza, Gaza wellness authorities say, and near galore successful dire request of nutrient and aid. [Reuters]