GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center ) The Hamas Movement has condemned Israeli drone attacks on several Gaza-bound ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, calling them “acts of terrorism” and a “dangerous behavior paving the way for more severe assaults on the flotilla and its participating activists.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Hamas accused the Israeli occupation of attempting to dissuade the participants in the flotilla from finishing their humanitarian mission and delivering aid to the embattled people of Gaza, “who are facing systematic campaigns of genocide and starvation.”
The Movement urged the international community, the UN and their human rights organizations to take immediate and effective measures to protect the flotilla and its crews and ensure the delivery of aid to the civilians under siege in Gaza.
Organizers of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla reported Israeli attacks on their boats at dawn Wednesday and seeing multiple drones around the fleet, which is made up of more than 500 people, including prominent environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
The Global Sumud Flotilla which was sailing near Greece as of early Wednesday also saw its communications “jammed,” its organizers said in a statement.
“We are witnessing these psychological operations first-hand, right now, but we will not be intimidated,” they added.
In an online video shared by the flotilla organizers overnight, a bright light can be seen piercing the darkness, before a loud blast rings out. They said that the video was filmed from one of its boats, “Specter,” and that it captured one of the explosions heard by crew members.
Meanwhile, Italian defense minister Guido Crosetto condemned on Wednesday the Israeli drone attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla as it left Greece en route towards Gaza.
He added that Italy was sending a naval ship to be nearby if the flotilla required assistance. “The vessel is already en route to the area for possible rescue operations,” Crosetto wrote on X.
“In a democracy, demonstrations and forms of protest must also be protected when they are carried out in accordance with international law and without resorting to violence,” Crosetto said.
