Tunisia said on Wednesday that an “assault” on a Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) boat docked at Sidi Bou Said was “orchestrated,” after organisers reported a drone attack — the second in as many nights — on vessels preparing to deliver aid to Gaza.
No injuries were reported and civil protection teams extinguished a fire on the boat on Wednesday night. The Interior Ministry, which did not attribute responsibility, said an investigation is under way. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.
Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, told Reuters on Tuesday the incident amounted to “an attack against Tunisian sovereignty.”
Thousands of Tunisians gathered along the Sidi Bou Said shoreline on Wednesday to back pro-Palestinian activists ahead of departure. The flotilla — one of the largest announced to date — comprises dozens of boats and hundreds of participants, with delegations from 44 countries, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortágua, according to organisers.
GSF says it intends to sail for Gaza to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, which Israel imposed after Hamas took control of the enclave in 2007, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling.
The blockade has continued during the current war, which began when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s subsequent offensive, and a global hunger monitor has reported famine conditions in parts of the strip. Israel closed Gaza’s land crossings in early March, allowing in no supplies for three months, leading to widespread shortages, while saying Hamas diverts aid.