An international aid fleet bound for Gaza, which set sail from Tunisia in mid-September, announced on Wednesday that it will continue its journey despite facing “intimidation maneuvers” carried out overnight by what organizers describe as “Israeli military vessels.”
The “Global Solidarity Fleet,” which initially embarked from Spain at the beginning of September, consists of approximately 45 ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists from over 40 countries, delivering baby formula, food supplies, and medical aid. The organization emphasizes that their mission is “peaceful and non-violent.”
As of 05:30 GMT, the fleet reported that it was located in the Mediterranean Sea, 120 nautical miles off the coast of Egypt, equating to about 220 kilometers from Palestinian territory.
Among the participants are Nelson Mandela’s grandson, former South African MP Mandla Mandela, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, French MEP Rima Hassan, and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, all aiming to “break the Israeli blockade on Gaza” and “deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged population suffering from hunger and genocide.”
The “Global Solidarity Fleet” issued a statement confirming that “early in the morning, Israeli naval forces carried out intimidation operations” against the fleet.
The statement revealed that “Alma,” one of the fleet’s main vessels, was “aggressively surrounded by an Israeli warship for several minutes.”
During the incident, “remote communications were disrupted,” forcing the captain to perform a sudden maneuver to avoid a direct collision with the Israeli ship, according to the statement.
It added, “Shortly after, the same vessel targeted the ship Sirius, repeating the intimidation tactics for a considerable period before departing.”
French MP Marie Mismore from the radical left party France Insoumise, who is on board the Sirius, told AFP that she observed at least two unidentified ships, one of which was “very close.”
She noted that “a military vessel directed a blinding light towards us,” and at the same time, “communications via radar and the internet were cut off” before alert levels were raised.
In a separate statement posted on X around 05:00 GMT, the fleet mentioned that it “will exercise caution upon entering areas where previous fleets faced interception or aggression,” referring to the vessels “Madeleine” and “Hanthal” in June and July.
They reaffirmed their commitment to “proceeding on their course, undeterred by Israeli threats and intimidation tactics.”