Spain to send warship to protect Gaza aid flotilla

MADRID/ROME: Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, announced on Wednesday that he will send a military warship to protect the Sumud flotilla to Gaza after it was attacked by drones off Greece.

His announcement follows Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto's statement, who told parliament that Rome would send its second navy ship to escort the aid flotilla, according to Reuters.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in New York, where he has been attending the UN General Assembly, that Spain would dispatch a naval vessel from Cartagena “with all necessary resources in case it was necessary to assist the flotilla and carry out a rescue operation,” Reuters reported. 

Sánchez stressed that “international law must be respected” and that Spanish citizens had the right to sail safely through the Mediterranean.

Italy’s sending rescue reinforcements 

Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Rome had activated the navy frigate Fasan, which was heading to the area from north of Crete “for possible rescue operations.” 

He added: “In a democracy, demonstrations and forms of protest must also be protected when they are carried out in accordance with international law and without resorting to violence,” AP reported.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry meanwhile reported its computer systems were hit by a “mail bombing” campaign after the flotilla urged supporters to pressure Rome into condemning the attack, saying the flood of emails hindered its crisis unit’s work. Italian officials said 58 citizens, including lawmakers, were aboard the flotilla, AP reported.

The European Commission said freedom of navigation under international law “must be upheld,” while the UN Human Rights Office called for an investigation.

Thunberg on the move 

The Global Sumud Flotilla, involving about 50 civilian boats carrying lawyers, activists, and aid — including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg — is seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. 

A spokesperson for March to Gaza Greece told Reuters the vessels were attacked by 12 drones in international waters 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the Greek island of Gavdos.

Thunberg told Reuters earlier that drones had flown over them nightly: “This mission is about Gaza, it isn’t about us. And no risks that we could take could even come close to the risks the Palestinians are facing every day.”

Attacks on Flotilla 

The flotilla has reported several attacks since it set sail from Spain on Sept. 1, including two while some of its boats were in Tunisian waters.

Activists have launched several flotillas aimed at breaking the blockade over the years, nearly all of them intercepted by Israel. Another vessel said it was attacked by drones in May in international waters off Malta. An overland convoy traveling across North Africa also attempted to reach the border but was blocked by security forces aligned with Egypt in eastern Libya.

In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a boat participating in an aid flotilla attempting to breach the maritime blockade of Gaza, killing 10 Turkish activists in clashes on board.

Israel has criticized the flotilla as tacitly supportive of Hamas but did not comment on the drone attack on Tuesday as reported by Reuters.

Since the war in Gaza began, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, with famine, mass displacement, and destruction continuing.