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Spain and Italy accidental they are sending navy ships to where a flotilla of boats carrying activists seeking to interruption Israel’s blockade of Gaza is sailing, aft the activists said they were attacked by drones adjacent Greece.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said connected Friday it was preparing to acceptable sail connected the last limb to Gaza aft being targeted by drones and communications jamming, with respective explosions occurring connected oregon adjacent some of the boats. Some of the vessels were damaged, but nary injuries were reported.
Here’s what to cognize astir the flotilla.
The flotilla’s goal
Organizers accidental the flotilla includes 52 mostly small vessels carrying activists from dozens of countries. They are carrying a symbolic magnitude of humanitarian aid, chiefly nutrient and medicine, for Palestinians successful the besieged enclave of Gaza.
The 23-month war has led to a humanitarian catastrophe successful the territory that has seen overmuch of it reduced to rubble. The world’s starring authorization connected the nutrient situation has declared famine successful Gaza’s largest city.
Activists anticipation their actions will absorption attraction connected the plight of Palestinians. They accidental the flotilla is the largest effort to day to interruption Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has present lasted 18 years, agelong predating the existent war successful Gaza.
Israel says the blockade is needed to forestall Hamas from importing arms, while critics see it corporate punishment.
The boats’ journey
The halfway vessels acceptable sail from Spain connected September 1, heading eastbound crossed the Mediterranean Sea, and person been joined by boats from different countries on the way.
The flotilla includes larger vessels that are providing support and provisions for smaller boats.
Participants see high-profile activists such arsenic Swedish clime activistic Greta Thunberg and erstwhile Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, arsenic well arsenic members of Italy’s parliament and the European parliament. Organizers accidental delegates from 46 countries had committed to participating, with activists including subject veterans, doctors, clergy and lawyers.
The bulk of the flotilla was sailing south of the Greek land of Crete connected Thursday, heading eastwards. Organizers said they expected to scope the Gaza country within a week.
Drone attacks
Organizers person reported astatine slightest three abstracted instances of participating boats being targeted by drones: twice successful Tunisia connected September 8 and 9, and erstwhile while sailing south of Greece successful the aboriginal hours of Wednesday.
In the latest attack, the flotilla said it was targeted during the nighttime by “unidentified drones and communications jamming.” Activists said “at slightest 13 explosions” were heard connected and astir respective flotilla boats, while drones oregon craft dropped “unidentified objects” connected astatine slightest 10 boats.
No casualties were reported but there was harm to the vessels and “widespread obstruction successful communications,” it added.
Thunberg said connected Thursday that she expects the attacks to intensify successful the coming days, adding successful an online post: “But we proceed undeterred. And the person we are to Gaza, the bigger grows the hazard of escalation towards us.”
Israel vows to artifact the boats
Israel said Thursday it had nary occupation with Italy and Spain’s program to nonstop rescue ships to travel the flotilla but renewed strong disapproval of the assistance inaugural – warning that the boats would not beryllium allowed to scope Gaza.
“The existent intent of this flotilla is provocation and serving Hamas, surely not humanitarian effort,” Israeli Foreign Ministry authoritative Eden Bar Tal said. “Israel will not let immoderate vessel to participate the progressive combat zone.”
Bar Tal warned the activists against attempting to scope Gaza. “Any further refusal will enactment the work connected the flotilla organizers,” helium said, without elaborating.
The Israeli subject did not instantly respond to questions regarding Wednesday’s drone attack.
Spain and Italy acceptable navy ships
Italy and Spain said they were sending subject ships to supply assistance and imaginable rescues if needed.
“The Spanish Government demands that planetary instrumentality beryllium complied with and that the close of our citizens to navigate the Mediterranean safely beryllium respected,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
Spanish officials said a navy offshore patrol vessel, the Furor, was being prepared to sail from the Mediterranean larboard of Cartagena.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto condemned the drone onslaught connected civilian boats arsenic “totally unacceptable” during a parliamentary code Thursday. A time aft Premier Giorgia Meloni delivered 1 of her toughest criticisms of Israel’s actions successful Gaza astatine the UN General Assembly, Italy was sending an Italian navy vessel acceptable to assistance the flotilla if needed.
Crosetto urged the flotilla to offload assistance alternatively successful Cyprus, suggesting Italy and the Catholic Church could present it safely to Palestinians. He emphasized that Italy couldn’t warrant the flotilla’s information erstwhile it entered different country’s waters, noting Israel mightiness view it arsenic a “hostile act.”
Cypriot lawman authorities spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said Israel had stated its willingness to judge the assistance from Cyprus. “Cyprus is acceptable to assistance if immoderate petition for assistance is made,” helium said.
Flotilla organizers rejected the Cyprus connection and vowed to proceed connected to Gaza.
EU warns against use of force
In Athens, activists staged a protestation extracurricular the overseas ministry, urging the authorities to condemn the drone attacks, supply naval extortion to the flotilla, and articulation different European nations successful formally recognizing Palestinian statehood.
“I think (recognition) is the very slightest they could do,” protestation organizer Mariketi Stasinou told The Associated Press. “But beyond that, much contiguous measures are needed to person existent interaction and amusement meaningful solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called for an investigation, while the European Union besides warned against the use of immoderate force. “The state of navigation under planetary instrumentality indispensable beryllium upheld,” said Eva Hrncirova, a European Commission spokesperson.
Past attempts to interruption Israel’s blockade of Gaza
It is not the archetypal clip activists trying to interruption Israel’s Gaza blockade person travel under attack.
Another vessel said it was attacked by drones successful May successful planetary waters disconnected Malta. An overland convoy traveling crossed North Africa besides attempted to scope the borderline but was blocked by information forces aligned with Egypt successful eastbound Libya.
In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a vessel participating successful an assistance flotilla attempting to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza. Nine Turkish citizens and 1 Turkish-American connected committee were killed.
The existent war
The war began connected October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Israel says its violative is aimed astatine pressuring Hamas to surrender and instrumentality the remaining 48 hostages, astir 20 of whom Israel believes are still alive. Most of the remainder were released successful ceasefires oregon different deals.
The Israeli violative has killed much than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It does not accidental however galore were civilians oregon combatants, but says astir fractional were women and children. [AP]
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