Activists urge North African states to protect activists on board Gaza-bound Flotilla

After a drone attack in international waters, Maghreb activists are urging their governments to protect the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, following Spain and Italy's decisions to send navy ships to safeguard their citizens on board.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of Tunisians gathered in downtown Tunis, waving Palestinian flags and chanting in support of Gaza, as they urged Carthage to act swiftly to protect activists aboard the Sumud flotilla, which had come under attack the previous evening.

"This emergency protest came in response to the barbaric assault on the flotilla in open waters, and it may well happen again," said Fathi Abaza, a member of Tunisia's Network Against Normalisation, during the sit-in. He described the raid as an "armed robbery" against a civilian humanitarian mission.

Earlier this month, the Sumud Flotilla was reportedly attacked at least twice in Tunisian waters before its departure, incidents that Tunisian authorities are still investigating. 

This time, Sumud organisers say their fleet was struck by drones in the Mediterranean on Tuesday night.

The assault rattled several boats, jammed communications, and sent flashes of explosions, but no casualties were reported. Subsequently, the flotilla sailed in Greek territorial waters to seek safety.

The organisers blame the attacks on Israel, whose foreign ministry has labelled the aid boat as pro-Hamas, accusing Tunisian and Algerian activists of acting on behalf of the armed group. 

Organisers reject these claims, saying they reflect Israel's infamous tactic: before or after it attacks or kills anyone it wants to "take out," it brands them as Hamas.

The flotilla, which set sail from Spain on 31 August and linked up with Maghreb boats in Tunisian ports earlier this month, is attempting to deliver aid to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. 

Since March, Israel has sealed all crossings into Gaza, blocking food and medicine, and aid agencies warn that the enclave's 2.4 million residents face a man-made famine.

Israeli forces intercepted two Freedom Flotilla vessels earlier this summer in international waters, detaining participants before deporting them.

The deadliest confrontation occurred in 2010, when Israeli commandos killed at least nine Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara. 

Organisers say the current flotilla now includes more than 50 vessels from 44 countries and more than 500 participants, marking the largest international attempt yet to challenge Israel's 18-year blockade of Gaza.

This also marks the first time an initiative of this scale is departing from North Africa, a region that has historically avoided direct action against Israel.

'Maghreb states must protect the Flotilla'

Tuesday's attack has ignited a wave of calls across North Africa for governments to intervene.

Tunisia's Network Against Normalisation demanded that the foreign ministry issue a formal condemnation and set up a crisis cell to monitor the flotilla's situation.

"We hold the Tunisian state responsible for the safety of its citizens," Abaza said, warning that "serious developments could unfold at any moment."

In Algiers, the Popular Coordination for Palestine, which manages four Algerian ships within the flotilla, urged the government to "take all necessary steps" to protect its nationals.

Nearly 30 Algerians are aboard, including Abdelrazak Makri, the former head of the Islamist party Movement of Society for Peace, as well as lawmakers, doctors, journalists, and students.

The coordination group urged Algeria's UN mission in New York to request an emergency Security Council meeting while condemning Israeli threats against its members, including Marouane Ben Guattaia, whose picture was shared on the Israeli foreign ministry's X page as part of a smear campaign against the flotilla.

Algeria's Association of Muslim Scholars, one of the country's most prominent religious authorities, also issued a statement expressing "confidence" that the government would safeguard its citizens.

Morocco's BDS movement, meanwhile, took to Instagram to call on Rabat to protect some 10 Moroccan nationals on board.

While Maghreb officials have yet to address the attacks, Spain announced on Wednesday that it would dispatch a navy ship from Cartagena to accompany the flotilla "in case some kind of rescue is necessary," hours after Italy said one of its frigates was sailing to support its citizens on board.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Madrid could not stand idle while its nationals were under threat.

The flotilla's organisers say more boats from Greece are set to join the convoy today, strengthening its final push toward Gaza, with arrival expected in three or four days.

"We call on the international community, governments, and civil society to pressure Israel to stop attacking the flotilla," said Wael Naouar, a spokesperson of the Sumud Maghreb Flotilla.

"This is a peaceful humanitarian mission. And we will not turn back," Naouar added.