BRUSSELS

Amnesty International France on Wednesday called on states to urgently protect a Gaza humanitarian aid flotilla after the convoy was targeted by drones overnight off the coast of Greece.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, seeking to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza, came under drone attack overnight off the coast of Greece, Amnesty France said on US social media platform X.

"States must protect the people on board! They are already taking on a key role in the face of the inaction of States by attempting to act against the ongoing genocide," the rights group wrote.

Amnesty France described the drone incident as "unacceptable intimidation," adding that the humanitarian initiative is "perfectly legal under international law."

"Their protection is necessary and urgent! " it added.

The flotilla, made up of about 50 ships, set sail earlier this month with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade and delivering humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to Gaza, where 2.4 million Palestinians have been under siege for 18 years.

UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where over 65,000 people have been killed since October 2023.