Spain, Italy send ships to Gaza flotilla after drone swarm

Spain planned to send an action vessel to the Mediterranean to escort a humanitarian flotilla to the Gaza coastline, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Thursday. The country will now send the Furor P-46, a 93-meter navy patrol ship with a 52-person crew. International law must be upheld, and the rights of Spanish citizens to navigate the Mediterranean must be respected, Sánchez said.

Spain’s announcement came days after the Global Sumud Flotilla, nearing the Gaza coast, said it was harassed by numerous drones. The flotilla consists of about 50 small civilian boats carrying food, water, and medicine, manned by hundreds of activists from over 44 countries. The Italian navy also planned to intervene after the yet-unclaimed drone attacks, Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto said Thursday.

The Fasan frigate reached the Global Flotilla and offered assistance and protection for the activists and another ship, the Alpino, is on its way, he said. Crosetto noted that citizens on board could be at risk once they enter Israeli waters. It is not Italy’s intention to move military ships to wage war on a friendly country, he added. Crosetto called on international bodies to help get the flotilla’s aid to Gaza without any negative consequences.

What do we know about the attacks? The flotilla said there were over a dozen explosions around the boats, which widely spread communication disruption, according to a Tuesday statement. Drones deployed explosives and chemical sprays, according to a Wednesday statement from the group.

A yet-unclaimed swarm of drones attacked the flotilla in international waters just south of Crete, Crosetto said. The unmanned aerial vehicles played loud sounds, sprayed a stinging substance, and deployed unidentified objects, he said. At least a dozen boats were impacted, with some reporting significant damage to sails and masts. No activists were injured, Crosetto said.

What has Israel said? Israel has not supported the activist fleet, calling it the Hamas-Sumud flotilla. Activists are welcome to unload any aid in a port near Israel where it can be transferred to Gaza without falling into the hands of Hamas, according to a Wednesday statement from Israel’s Foreign Ministry. Israel will not allow vessels to breach a lawful naval blockade and enter an active combat zone, the group added.

The flotilla insisted Thursday that Israel’s blockade is illegal and insisted activists had a legal right to deliver aid directly to Gaza. Israel has no authority over Palestinian waters, and any attempt to stop aid from the flotilla will violate international law, the group added. 

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s previous reports for more background on the flotilla.