Flotilla for Gaza says boat struck by drone at Tunisian port, authorities deny strike

By Enas Alashray and Tarek Amara

(Reuters) - The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza said on Tuesday that one of its main boats was struck by a drone at a port in Tunisia, though all six passengers and crew were safe.

Tunisia's interior ministry said that reports of a drone hitting a boat at its Sidi Bou Said port "have no basis in truth", and that a fire broke out on the vessel itself.

The Portuguese-flagged boat, carrying the flotilla's steering committee, sustained fire damage to its main deck and below-deck storage, the GSF said in a statement.

The flotilla is an international initiative seeking to break Israel's naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza using civilian boats supported by delegations from 44 countries, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua.

A video posted by the GSF on X showed the moment "the Family Boat was struck from above", capturing a luminous flying object hitting the vessel with smoke rising soon after.

After the strike, dozens of people gathered outside the Sidi Bou Said port, where the flotilla's boats were located at the time of the incident, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Free Palestine," a Reuters witness said.

Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group.

The blockade has remained in place through the current war, which began when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies showed.

Israel's subsequent military assault against Hamas has killed over 64,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health ministry said, while a global hunger monitor said part of the enclave is suffering from famine.

Israel sealed off Gaza by land in early March, letting in no supplies for three months and sparking the widespread shortage of food. It has said Hamas was diverting the aid.

In June, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a British-flagged yacht carrying Thunberg, among others. Israel dismissed the aid ship as a propaganda stunt in support of Hamas.

The GSF also said an investigation into the drone attack was underway and its results would be released once available.

"Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us. Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve," the GSF said.

The United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, who was at the port, told Reuters: "We do not know who carried out the attack, but we would not be surprised if it was Israel. If confirmed, it is an attack against Tunisian sovereignty."

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side.

(Reporting by Enas Alashray and Tarek Amara; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Stephen Coates)