A Palestinian flag is seen as people gather at the port of Ermoupolis before the departure of two sailing boats, Electra and Oxygen, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade, on Syros island, Greece, in September. Credit: Giorgos Solaris/Reuters

The Italian military sent a naval vessel to assist the Gaza-bound Sumud flotilla following a drone attack that activists on board attribute to Israel.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in a statement that the Gaza-bound Sumud flotilla had been targeted by “currently unidentified perpetrators” after the activists said they were targeted with “explosive flares.”

Crosetto expressed the “strongest condemnation” of the incident.

He added the Italian multi-purpose frigate Fasan, previously sailing north of Crete, was “already on route” towards the flotilla “for possible rescue operations.” An Italian official said the navy had been mobilised primarily to help Italians on board. “If needed, our frigate has a well-stocked infirmary”, he said.

The vessels were attacked by 12 drones in international waters 30 nautical miles off the Greek island of Gavdos, said Marikaiti Stasinou, a spokesperson for March to Gaza Greece, which is part of the flotilla. All passengers are safe after drones exploded over the vessels, she told Reuters.

According to the organizers, Israel attacked them with “flash bombs, explosive flares and suspected chemicals” as it sailed through international waters off the coast of Crete. The activists believe the attacks were intended to harm the sails.

“The Israeli occupation forces have launched at least 11 attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla as it is 600 nautical miles from Gaza,” the CODEPINK organization said in a social media post.

“Israel is threatening and terrorizing humanitarians carrying aid in international waters. Demand safe passage for the flotilla. Break the siege on Gaza now,” the group added.

Global Sumud Flotilla published a video on its social media channels, showing footage of a blast caused by “flashbangs ... a non-lethal explosive device used mainly by police or military forces. It is designed to incapacitate people temporarily without causing permanent injury, making it useful in crowd control or hostage rescue operations.”

The activists also said “unidentified drones and communications jamming” were used, saying Israel is engaging in psychological warfare. “We are witnessing these psychological operations firsthand, right now, but we will not be intimidated,” the flotilla said in a Telegram post.

On Tuesday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it was “sorry to hear” that the activists insisted “on pursuing a violent course of action” and refused to transfer any onboard aid to Gaza through Israel’s Ashkelon Marina “in a coordinated and peaceful manner.”

Referring to the vessels as “the Hamas flotilla,” Israel said the activists’ refusal to hand over the aid “once again highlights the insincerity of the flotilla members and their mission to serve Hamas, rather than the people in Gaza.”

The ministry added, “If the flotilla continues to reject Israel’s peaceful proposal, Israel will take the necessary measures to prevent its entry into the combat zone and to stop any violation of a lawful naval blockade, while making every possible effort to ensure the safety of its passengers.”

The ministry later reiterated its statement in another post on X, saying the Sumud flotilla “chooses the illegal path – sailing into a combat zone and breaching the lawful naval blockade,” adding that, “This proves their true aim: serving Hamas rather than delivering aid to Gaza’s civilians.”

On Monday, the ministry made several posts on social media, titled “Exposed: the jihadi Hamas flotilla,” saying it is “organized by Hamas, [and] is intended to serve Hamas.” The ministry also shared photos of activists associated with the Sumud flotilla with Hamas members.

“Marouan Ben Guettaia & Wael Nawar, spokespersons of the Hamas flotilla – pictured multiple times with Head of Hamas North Africa, Youssef Hamdan,” the ministry said in one post. “The link to Hamas isn’t hidden. It’s in plain sight.”

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set off from Barcelona in late August with hundreds of activists on board, is aiming to breach the Israeli sea blockade of the Gaza coast to deliver humanitarian aid to the population of the war-torn territory. “Sumud” means steadfastness in Arabic.

According to its website, the flotilla consists of 51 vessels sailing to the Gaza Strip, including a single group of 36 vessels near Crete. Organizers say 37 ships are expected to arrive in Gaza in about four days, with additional ships expected to join from Crete soon.

Alessandro Mantovani, a journalist from the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano who spoke to Haaretz, described the attack as occurring after midnight. “I woke up to a loud noise, it made a flash, but it didn’t seem very dangerous,” he said. “I don’t think they tried to kill or sink the boats. In our opinion, they tried to harm the sails.”

Mantovani added, “It will make navigation more difficult for us and we will have to use more diesel. I think they want to reduce the number of boats. They can handle a few boats – not 40.” According to him, drones circle the ships all the time, especially in the evening.

Back in June, Israel intercepted the Gaza-bound Madleen flotilla in international waters, detaining and ultimately deporting the activists on board. Some of the activists who sailed the Madleen, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, are participating in the Sumud flotilla.

Nir Hasson, Jack Khoury, Haaretz, Reutersand DPA