Tunis — A vessel belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest civilian convoy assembled to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, was struck late Monday by what organizers described as a drone while docked in Tunisia, igniting a fire and reviving fears of deliberate sabotage.
The ship, known as the Family Boat, carried members of the flotilla’s steering committee, including international activists who have spent months preparing the mission. Organizers released video footage showing a glowing object streaking toward the vessel before flames consumed its deck. All six people aboard escaped unhurt, though the incident was described as a “warning shot” against their effort to deliver supplies and solidarity to Gaza war.
Tunisian authorities swiftly rejected the claim of an attack. The Interior Ministry said there was “no basis in truth” to reports of a drone strike and suggested the fire was caused internally, perhaps by a cigarette or a faulty life jacket. Officials insisted no hostile aircraft had entered Tunisian airspace.
The explanation has been met with skepticism among rights monitors and members of the convoy, who said the blaze resembled previous strikes against Gaza-bound flotillas. Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, was present in Tunis and called for further scrutiny, noting the incident echoed earlier attacks at sea that activists and legal scholars have attributed to Israel.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising more than 50 ships and participants from 44 countries, has drawn figures from across civil society, including Greta Thunberg. Its voyage comes at a moment when international condemnation of the Gaza genocide has grown sharper, with human rights organizations and genocide scholars accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel offered no comment on the Tunis incident. In the past, it has portrayed flotillas as hostile attempts to breach what it calls a security blockade, a position activists counter is collective punishment. Earlier flotillas faced direct confrontations, including when Israeli forces seized the ship Handala in July, drawing international condemnation.
European officials have urged aid delivery through official channels, a stance critics argue effectively entrenches Israel’s control over Gaza’s fate. Organizers of the Sumud mission have dismissed such advice, vowing to proceed despite threats and recalling their statement that “we do not fear Israeli threats.”
According to Al Jazeera’s report, flotilla leaders said they would hold a press conference to present their evidence and reaffirmed their commitment to continue the voyage toward Gaza despite the attack.
