Gaza flotilla claims its ship was hit by drone in Tunisian port, authorities deny attack

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza said on Monday that one of its main ships was hit by a drone in a port in Tunisia, and that all six passengers and crew members were safe, Reuters reported.

Tunisia's Interior Ministry said reports of a drone hitting a ship in the port of Sidi Bou Said "have no basis in truth," and that a fire broke out on the vessel itself.

The GSF statement said the Portuguese-flagged ship, which was carrying the flotilla's board of directors, suffered fire damage on the main deck and in the storage area below deck.

The flotilla is an international initiative that seeks to break the Israeli naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza using civilian ships, with the support of delegations from 44 countries, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua.

A video posted by the GSF on Instagram shows the moment a "family boat was hit from above," showing a glowing flying object hitting the vessel, followed shortly by smoke rising.

After the attack, dozens of people gathered outside the port of Sidi Bou Said, where the flotilla ships were at the time of the incident, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Free Palestine," a Reuters witness said.

Israel has imposed a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2007, when Hamas took control of Gaza, saying the aim is to prevent weapons from reaching the militant group.

The blockade remained in place during the current war, which began when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing 1.200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

The Israeli military offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 64.000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, while the global hunger monitor has warned that parts of the strip are suffering from famine.

Israel completely closed Gaza by land in early March, preventing any supplies from entering for three months, causing widespread food shortages. It claims Hamas has been diverting aid.

In June, Israeli naval forces intercepted and seized a British-flagged yacht carrying Thunberg, among others, in a move that Israel has dismissed as a propaganda ploy in favor of Hamas.

The GSF also said that an investigation into the drone attack is underway and that the results will be released when available.

"An act of aggression aimed at intimidating and obstructing our mission will not deter us. Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand with its people continues resolutely and steadfastly," the GSF said in a statement.

The United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, who was at the port, told Reuters: "We don't know who carried out the attack, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was Israel. If confirmed, it is an attack on Tunisian sovereignty."

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side.