TUNIS: A flotilla bound for Gaza with aid for the war-battered Palestinian territory said on Wednesday that it would continue its course despite what it called intimidation tactics by the Israeli military.
The flotilla of 45 vessels carrying activists and politicians, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, departed Spain last month with the aim of breaking the blockade on Gaza, where the UN has said there is a famine.
Organisers stated that Israeli occupation naval forces launched an intimidatory operation against the Global Sumud Flotilla in the early hours of the morning as the vessels approached waters off Egypt, where previous attempts have been intercepted.
After departing Spain, the flotilla stopped in Tunisia for 10 days before resuming its journey on 15 September.
The group reported that one of the flotilla’s principal vessels, the Alma, was aggressively circled by an Israeli warship for several minutes during the incident.
The same naval vessel then targeted Sirius, repeating similar harassing manoeuvres for an extended period before finally departing according to the statement.
Marie Mesmeur, a French lawmaker from the radical left-wing LFI party who is on board the Sirius, told AFP that she saw at least two unidentified ships, one of which was very, very close to their vessel.
She explained that a military patrol boat with a huge light pointed at them appeared while all radar and internet communications on the boat were cut during the incident.
In another statement on X, the flotilla said it remained vigilant as it entered the area where previous flotillas were intercepted and or attacked by Israeli forces.
Israel has already blocked two attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July of this year.
In June, 12 activists on board the sailboat Madleen, including Thunberg, were intercepted by Israeli forces 185 kilometres west of Gaza.
At 0530 GMT, the Global Sumud Flotilla reported that it was in the Mediterranean north of the Egyptian coast and approaching the 120 nautical mile mark from Palestinian territory.
The flotilla, which also carries French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, added in its statement on X that they sail on undeterred by Israeli threats and tactics of intimidation. – AFP