Gaza-bound aid flotilla says drone spotted flying over one of its ships

TUNIS, Tunisia / ISTANBUL

A drone flew over a ship in the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla late Saturday night as the convoy of activists continued its voyage toward the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The incident was captured in footage released from the Deir Yassin, one of the Tunisian vessels taking part in the mission.

Wael Nawar, a member of the fleet’s steering committee, said participants remained unfazed.

“No one panicked. We are prepared for every scenario,” he said, adding that the flotilla had cleared Italian waters off Sicily and was now heading into international waters near Greece.

“This is day six of our journey. Morale is strong and our course is set on Gaza,” he added.

The Maghreb fleet is part of a wider Global Sumud Flotilla of around 50 vessels, including 23 from North Africa and others from Europe, Latin America, the US, Pakistan, India, and Malaysia.

It is the largest effort of its kind to reach Gaza, where 2.4 million Palestinians live under an Israeli blockade that has lasted 18 years.

Israel has previously intercepted Gaza-bound ships, seizing the vessels and deporting those on board.

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