The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) is using about 50 civilian boats to try to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Many lawyers, parliamentarians and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and Irish activists, are on board.
The Italian defence ministry said a frigate that was dispatched on Wednesday, hours after the GSF was targeted on its way to Gaza, would be replaced by another vessel, adding that the aim was to protect people.
“It is not an act of war, it is not a provocation, it is an act of humanity, which is a duty of a state towards its citizens,” defence minister Guido Crosetto told the upper house of parliament on the decision to send a ship.
The Italian foreign ministry said Belgium, France and other European nations had asked them to help provide assistance to their citizens on the flotilla if needed.
Italy had proposed a compromise whereby aid supplies could be dropped off in Cyprus and handed over to the Catholic Church’s Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which would then distribute them in Gaza.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said Israel backed the idea. However, the Italian delegation rejected that suggestion on behalf of the flotilla yesterday.
“Our mission stays true to its original goal of breaking Israel’s illegal siege and delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged population of Gaza,” the Italian group said in a statement.
The Spanish offshore patrol vessel Furor has been deployed to assist the Global Sumud Flotilla. Photo: Reuters
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said it would not comment on reports that it was in discussions about the flotilla.
Italy sent a first frigate on Wednesday, hours after the flotilla said it was targeted by drones that dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels as they sailed in international waters 56km off the Greek island of Gavdos.
No one was hurt, but some damage was caused to the vessels. Yesterday, Spain also said it was sending a warship to assist the flotilla, joining Italy in an unprecedented move by European governments.
Furthermore, Greece said it will guarantee the safe sailing of boats currently in its waters as part of the international flotilla, adding that Athens had informed Israel that Greek citizens were in the flotilla.
“There are a small number of boats currently in the waters of Crete, and we will guarantee the safe sailing,” Giorgos Gerapetritis told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“We have already informed the Israeli government about the participation of Greek citizens in this, and we will make sure that everything goes well.”
Irish novelist Naoise Dolan (33), who is on the flotilla, said: “Israel is currently committing ever graver atrocities as it advances its assault on Gaza City.
“We know it has a history of attacking the flotilla and then following it up immediately with far graver assaults in Gaza.
“We need to keep all eyes on Gaza. We cannot let their attacks on the flotilla deflect international attention from the genocide. ”
Previous activist attempts to break the naval blockade on Gaza were stopped by force by the Israeli military. In 2010, 10 Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who raided the Mavi Marmara ship leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza.
Ms Meloni, a traditional ally of Israel, stressed on Wednesday that no use of military force was expected by her country’s navy, and criticised the flotilla initiative as “gratuitous, dangerous and irresponsible”.
Israel’s foreign ministry did not respond directly to the accusation, but invited the flotilla to drop humanitarian aid at any port in a country near Israel, leaving it to Israeli authorities to take it to Gaza, or else face consequences.
