Italy Deploys Navy Frigate After Israeli Drone Attack On Gaza Aid Ships

Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto deployed a navy frigate Wednesday to aid a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla after organizers reported their vessels were targeted by drone attacks off Greece.

The Global Sumud Flotilla reported multiple explosions near their vessels Tuesday night, with damage caused by unidentified objects dropped onto the decks of several boats.

Crosetto announced he "authorized the immediate intervention of the Italian Navy's multi-purpose frigate Fasan, which was sailing north of Crete as part of Operation Safe Sea," adding that the vessel was "already en route to the area for possible rescue operations."

The Global Sumud Flotilla departed from Barcelona this month with the mission of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.

Israeli authorities, who previously blocked two activist attempts to reach Gaza by sea in June and July, have clearly stated they will not permit the flotilla to reach Gaza.

"Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade," foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein stated to AFP, suggesting that "if their intentions are sincere, they should transfer any such aid to the nearby Ashkelon Marina" for forwarding to Gaza "in a non-violent manner."

The flotilla reported that several vessels experienced explosions and observed unidentified objects being dropped on and near boats, resulting in damage and significant disruption to communications systems.

Organizers accused Israel of "endangering the 500+ unarmed civilians aboard the flotilla," which includes activists from 45 countries, including prominent Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg.

Stefano Bertoldi, an Italian activist with climate group "Ultima Generazione" (Last Generation) aboard one of the vessels, reported that "drones that have been following us for days have detonated an explosive device, knocking off the boat's jib, and we're at risk of the mast falling." He issued multiple mayday calls during the explosions.

Minister Crosetto expressed "the strongest condemnation" of the attack by "currently unidentified perpetrators" on the humanitarian flotilla.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani requested Israel ensure the safety of "Italian citizens, along with members of parliament and MEPs" participating in the mission.

The Foreign Ministry confirmed Tajani had informed Israel that "any operation entrusted to Israeli forces must be conducted in compliance with international law and the principle of absolute caution," and had instructed the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to "reiterate its previous request to the Israeli government to guarantee the absolute protection of the personnel on board."

The Global Sumud Flotilla currently comprises 51 vessels, most positioned off the Greek island of Crete. Vessels waiting to join the flotilla had reportedly already been targeted in two suspected drone attacks while in Tunisia.

Greek coastguard officials told AFP that a patrol boat from the EU borders agency Frontex had approached one of the vessels but observed no evidence of damage. Frontex headquarters in Warsaw could not immediately confirm or deny the reported incidents.

Italy's Five Star Movement, which has a senator aboard one of the boats, called for immediate EU intervention "to defend the vessels flying the flags of member states" by providing "protection and maritime escort through the deployment of Frontex vessels."

The Global Sumud Flotilla describes itself as an independent humanitarian initiative not affiliated with any government or political party. "Sumud" is an Arabic term meaning "resilience" or "steadfastness."

The incident occurs as Israel continues a major offensive on Gaza City aimed at eliminating Hamas after nearly two years of conflict. During this period, Israeli military operations have resulted in at least 65,419 Palestinian deaths, predominantly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry figures that the UN considers reliable.

The initial Hamas attack that triggered the war caused 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, based on an AFP tally derived from Israeli data.

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