{"id":55572,"date":"2025-09-10T16:58:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T16:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/55572\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T16:58:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T16:58:09","slug":"gaza-aid-flotilla-carrying-greta-thunberg-reports-second-drone-attack-at-tunisian-port-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/55572\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza aid flotilla carrying Greta Thunberg reports second drone attack at Tunisian port \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

International aid initiative Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has said one of its boats was attacked by a drone at Tunisia\u2019s Sidi Bou Said port, the second such reported strike in two days.<\/p>\n

The GSF, which is seeking to break Israel<\/a>\u2019s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza<\/a> using civilian boats, said in a statement early on Wednesday all passengers and crew were unharmed and that no structural damage had been caused.<\/p>\n

The flotilla, which is carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists including Greta Thunberg<\/a>, posted a video on Instagram of Wednesday\u2019s alleged attack, showing a luminous object hitting the boat and fire erupting immediately afterwards on board. It was not possible to immediately verify the video.<\/p>\n

GSF reported the first attack on Tuesday saying one of its vessels had been struck by a drone in Tunisian waters. Tunisia\u2019s interior ministry said reports of a drone hitting the boat on Tuesday had \u201cno basis in truth\u201d, and that a fire broke out on the vessel itself.<\/p>\n

The group said the British-flagged Alma sustained fire damage to its top deck and an investigation was under way.<\/p>\n

\"Vessels,Vessels, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, off the coast of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia. Photograph: EPA The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said one of its main vessels, the ‘Family Boat,’ was struck by what is suspected to be a drone off the coast of Tunisia on Tuesday. <\/p>\n

It later posted an image of what it said was a \u201ccharred electronic device\u201d recovered from the deck. \u201cWhile a full investigation is ongoing, the presence of such a device provides further indication that the boat was deliberately targeted,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, posted video of the burning Alma and said it indicated a drone attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cVideo evidence suggests a drone \u2013 with no light so it could not be seen \u2013 dropped a device that set the deck of the Alma boat on fire,\u201d she wrote on social media.<\/p>\n

Several ambulances rushed to the port, while a Reuters witness reported coastguard boats near the Alma.<\/p>\n

The activists said they would continue their \u201cpeaceful voyage\u201d on Wednesday as planned, as the flotilla \u201cpresses forward with determination and resolve\u201d.<\/p>\n

The flotilla is supported by delegations from 44 countries, including Swedish activist Ms Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua.<\/p>\n

Israel has maintained the blockade on the coastal territory since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, saying it is needed to prevent weapons smuggling.<\/p>\n

The blockade on food and other aid has been tightened throughout the current war. A global hunger monitor said in July part of the enclave is suffering from famine.<\/p>\n

In June, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a British-flagged yacht carrying Ms Thunberg, among others. Israel also killed nine Turkish activists in 2010 when it raided the Mavi Marmara, which was also trying to break the blockade.<\/p>\n

The GSF statement did not say who it believed was behind the alleged attacks, but described them as an \u201corchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission\u201c.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Global Sumud Flotilla continues undeterred. Our peaceful voyage to break Israel\u2019s illegal siege on Gaza and stand in unwavering solidarity with its people presses forward with determination and resolve,\u201d the group added. \u2013 Guardian\/Reuters\/Agence France-Presse<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"International aid initiative Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has said one of its boats was attacked by a drone…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55573,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[9,10,13,14,3761,27795,6,3857,11,12,15,16,5,7,8,65,66,67],"class_list":{"0":"post-55572","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-featured-news","11":"tag-featurednews","12":"tag-gaza-strip","13":"tag-greta-thunberg","14":"tag-headlines","15":"tag-israel-hamas-conflict","16":"tag-latest-news","17":"tag-latestnews","18":"tag-main-news","19":"tag-mainnews","20":"tag-news","21":"tag-top-stories","22":"tag-topstories","23":"tag-world","24":"tag-world-news","25":"tag-worldnews"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55572"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55572\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}