Attack on Flotilla is Attack on Italy Says Spokesperson

Rome: The Global Sumud Flotilla, which is trying to break through the Israeli blockade to get aid to Gaza via sea, said Wednesday that it came under attack by drones in international waters overnight, arguing this amounts to an assault on Italy and on other countries whose boats are involved.

According to Ansa News Agency, the Flotilla reported that its boats were hit with sound bombs and flares and sprayed with suspected chemicals. Additionally, their radios were jammed, and calls for help were blocked while they were sailing southwest of Crete. The attack reportedly resulted in the mast of one boat being hit and destroyed, with other vessels damaged as well.

Maria Elena Delia, the Italian spokesperson for the mission, stated, “Boats from Italy, England, and Poland were hit. It was like an attack on the three countries. It is a very serious episode, which sets a precedent. We hope that political world will intervene.” Delia described the attack as involving at least 15 drones, which initially sprayed sting substances, followed by sound bombs, and finally crashing into the boats, rendering four or five of them, including the Italian vessel, unable to sail. She emphasized that these attacks put the lives of those on board at risk, labeling it “an act of absolute gravity.”