Italy and Spain have deployed military ships to assist an international aid flotilla that has come under drone attack while trying to deliver aid to Gaza, potentially ratcheting up tensions with Israel, which strongly opposes the initiative.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) is using about 50 civilian boats to try to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Many lawyers, parliamentarians and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, are on board.
Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday his country had sent one ship and another was on its way, primarily to offer assistance to Italians aboard the flotilla. He also urged activists to abandon plans to breach the blockade.
"It is not an act of war, it is not a provocation: it is an act of humanity, which is a duty of a state towards its citizens," he told the upper house of parliament on the decision to send navy ships.
FLOTILLA REJECTS CYPRUS AID COMPROMISE
Italy had proposed a compromise whereby aid supplies could be dropped off in Cyprus and handed over to the Catholic Church's Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which would then distribute them in Gaza. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Israel backed the idea.
However, the Italian delegation rejected that suggestion on behalf of the flotilla on Thursday.
"Our mission stays true to its original goal of breaking (Israel's) illegal siege and delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged population of Gaza," the Italian group said in a statement.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said it would not comment on reports that it was in discussions about the flotilla.
Italy sent a first frigate on Wednesday, hours after the flotilla said it was targeted by drones that dropped stun grenades and itching powder on the vessels as they sailed in international waters 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the Greek island of Gavdos.
No one was hurt, but some damage was caused to the vessels.
Spain also said it was sending a military warship on Thursday to assist the flotilla, joining Italy in an unprecedented move by European governments.
Previous activist attempts to break the naval blockade on Gaza were neutralised by force by the Israeli military.
ISRAEL ASKS IF THIS IS AID OR PROVOCATION?
In 2010, 10 Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who raided the Mavi Marmara ship leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza.
Italian Prime Minister Meloni, a traditional ally of Israel, stressed on Wednesday that no use of military force was expected by her country's navy, and criticised the flotilla initiative as "gratuitous, dangerous and irresponsible".
The flotilla has blamed Israel for the drone attack.
Israel's foreign ministry did not respond directly to the accusation, but invited the flotilla to drop humanitarian aid at any port in a country near Israel, leaving it to Israeli authorities to take it to Gaza, or else face consequences.
"Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach of a lawful naval blockade.
"Is this about aid or about provocation?", the ministry wrote on X.
SAILING AT SLOW SPEED
The flotilla said early on Thursday that its vessels were sailing at slow speed in Greek territorial waters, had been subjected to "moderate drone activity" during the night, and were heading towards international waters "later today".
Israeli offensive since October 2023 has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and has spread famine, destroyed most buildings, and displaced the population, in many cases multiple times.
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