In the middle of the night, while sailing in international waters south of Crete, the Global Sumud Flotilla was suddenly attacked by the sky: drones, sound bombs, stinging spray and unidentified material hit the boats. At least a dozen attacks, perhaps fifteen, those who probably launched by Israel. No injuries, but at least two damaged boats: the Zefiro, which brought the breakdown of the bow, one of the tree supports, and the Morgana, whose mainstock – the main sail – is now out of use. Taigete also hit, but from the videos spread on social media it does not seem to have suffered damage.
On Morgana, among others, some Italians and the spokesperson for Italy of the Flotilla, Maria Elena Delia, who posted updates throughout the night are embarked. ‘Attacks on Flotilla boats – he declares in a video – put the life of those on board at risk. What is happening – he continues – is of unprecedented gravity because it takes place in international waters, in total illegality. We have already alerted those of duty, even the Farnesina, and we are trying to let it know what it was going on.
And from New York, where it is located for the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani intervenes: he asks Israel to guarantee the safety of those who are on board and that any operations of the beloved forces are conducted respecting international law and a principle of absolute caution. The fifty -one ships that make up the flotilla aim to reach Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid and “break the Israeli block”, after two attempts blocked by Israel in June and July. Attacks against Flotilla had been recorded off the coast of Tunis on 9 September. “They are psychological operations, but we will not let ourselves be intimidated,” say the activists who claim: “We have no weapons. We do not represent a threat to anyone, we only transport humanitarian aid ». The attacks last night are only the last chapter of the arm wrestling with Israel: the Global Sumud Flotilla only yesterday rejected the proposal to transfer the load of aid to the Israeli port of Ashkelon and warned against the strategy to “obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza” and the risk of “possible reprisals”. “The precedents of Israel to intercept the ships, block the convoys and limit the routes show that its intention is not to facilitate humanitarian aid, but to control them, delay them and deny them”, warn the activists in a statement on social media. “The international community – they still say – does not interpret the declarations of Israel as mere operational instructions, since they represent the continuation of the blockade which, according to the UN investigators, is part of the genocide in progress in Gaza”.
Maria Elena Delia, Italian spokesman for the Flotilla: “At risk the life of those on board”
Tajani: “Israel Tuteli who is on board”
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, on a mission in New York for the UN General Assembly, asked the Embassy to Tel Aviv to hire information and to renew the request already made to the Tel Aviv government to guarantee the absolute protection of the staff embarked on the flotilla per Gaza, a mission that in these hours is subject to an attack while crossing in international waters south of Crete. Farnesina had already made reports to the authorities of Israel so that any operation of the armed forces of Jerusalem is conducted respecting international law and a principle of absolute caution.