TUNIS (Dispatches) – The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), an international fleet aiming to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza, vowed on Wednesday to continue its mission despite repeated attacks, including a drone strike on one of its boats docked in Tunisian waters.
According to a statement by the GSF, the vessel Alma was targeted by a drone while anchored off the Tunisian coast. The attack caused fire damage to the top deck, but the fire was quickly extinguished and all passengers and crew remained unharmed.
Describing the incident as “an orchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission,” the flotilla reaffirmed its commitment to proceed. “The Global Sumud Flotilla continues undeterred. Our peaceful voyage to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza and stand in unwavering solidarity with its people,” the statement read.
The drone strike follows a similar incident on Monday involving another GSF vessel. Despite the attacks, the flotilla confirmed that preparations for departure from Tunis were ongoing, pending mechanical checks, weather assessments, and participant readiness.
“The aggression we endured can in no way be compared to the daily horrors that Palestinians face under Israel’s brutal occupation, bombardment, and blockade,” the group stated.
The GSF cited the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023 and has resulted in over 64,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children. It also condemned Israel’s full media blackout and the use of starvation tactics through its siege as deliberate efforts to “silence Palestinians and erase their suffering from the world’s view.”
The group characterized the attacks on its vessels as calculated attempts to intimidate activists and divert attention from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“We are leaving on this mission. No acts of aggression will stop us,” said Saif Abukeshek, a member of the GSF Steering Committee. “In the coming days, the flotilla will be united at sea in our mission to break the siege, to end the genocide, and to stand with the Palestinian people in their just struggle for freedom.”
Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortágua, also on board, added: “Today, it’s Palestine, tomorrow it’s all of us. All eyes on Gaza.”
The GSF, described as the largest mission of its kind in decades, comprises over 50 boats and delegates from 44 countries. It launched from Barcelona last month.