Greta Thunberg’s Gaza aid flotilla ‘harassed’ by Israeli warships
Activists, including Greta Thunberg, on a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza say they have been encircled by Israeli warships performing "dangerous and intimidatory manoeuvres".
Pro-Palestine campaigners from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) have claimed they were “harassed” by two Israeli "warships" during their mission to break Israel’s naval aid blockade on Wednesday morning.
They said two of the flotilla’s boats, Alma and Sirius, were encircled during their journey.
Their lead vessel, Alma, was allegedly "aggressively circled" for several minutes, with communications cut off as the vessel was approached.
Thiago Ávila, an organizer on board, described this as a "cyberattack".
Alma’s captain was reportedly forced to make evasive manoeuvres, according to the activists, who said Israel’s ships went on to perform "harassing manoeuvres" toward another boat, Sirius.
Israel has repeatedly vowed to prevent the flotilla from reaching Gaza.
Last week, the Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship was "attacked several times" by a heavy swarm of drones, the activists said.
Their vessels were allegedly sprayed with unidentified chemicals, hit by sound bombs and explosive flares, and had their communications jammed.
Crews reported hearing 15 to 16 drones and 13 explosions on or around several boats during the night.
A brief video appeared on their social media pages showing what appeared to be an explosion near one of the vessels.
After the attack from Israel, no injuries were reported, and Greece’s coast guard did not report any distress calls.
However, the team said the attack was "psychological warfare from Israel".
"These hostile actions placed unarmed civilians from over 40 countries in grave danger,” the GSF said in a statement.
Its latest attempt to reach the region comes after a pause lasting several days in Greek waters as it underwent repairs.
Organizers said on Sunday that Greek vessels had joined the fleet and that the flotilla was now "complete", having increased the number of vessels to 47 civilian boats.
The boats are carrying around 500 people, including parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
Earlier this week, the GSF took to social media to announce their intention to reach Gaza after several failed attempts.
"Brothers and sisters in Gaza, we sail with hope in our hearts. Your resilience is our compass, your struggle is our struggle. Together, we will break the silence of the siege," it wrote.
Deputy Editor
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