'Israeli attacks' fail to stop Gaza-bound Sumud Flotilla, say activists

The Sumud Flotilla, the largest aid convoy to Gaza to date, said on Wednesday it would set sail as planned, despite two of its ships being struck by suspected Israeli drones while docked in Tunisia.

In a statement, organisers said the Alma, the coalition's second-largest vessel, flies the British flag and carries nine activists. 

It was hit late Tuesday night at the port of Sidi Bou Said. No one was injured. 

The group described the strike as a "Zionist assault" and vowed not to be deterred. "We are pressing on to Gaza, and cowardly attacks will not intimidate us," it said.

The incident came a day after another flotilla ship, the Family, was reportedly targeted at the same port. Tunisian authorities denied the earlier strike. 

They said no external attack had been detected and that a fire aboard the vessel may have been caused by a cigarette or lighter igniting a life jacket. They have yet to comment on Tuesday's attack.

Flotilla members rejected the Tunisian explanation. They insisted Israeli drones were behind both incidents. 

"We stick to the narrative that the boat was targeted by the Zionist entity, and this is a test for the Tunisian state to finally take a stance against abusing its borders," Wael Nawar, one of the organisers, told The New Arab.

Another activist, Thiago Ávila, said the Alma had been hit with an incendiary drone while several people were on board, though all escaped unharmed. He dismissed Tunisian suggestions of an accident. 

"Now they are going to say it's a giant cigarette," he said, sharing a video of a glowing light in the night sky descending on the boat before passengers cried out in panic.

Videos of the strike quickly spread online, drawing crowds of Tunisians to the port. 

On Tuesday night, hundreds gathered on the waterfront, launching 'parachute flares' into the sea in a spectacle borrowed from football ultras. 

This time, they said, to distract any further drones circling overhead.

Some activists likened Tunisian hesitations to 1985, when Israeli warplanes bombed the PLO headquarters in Hammam Chott and Tunisian authorities initially hesitated to blame Israel, until Tel Aviv itself claimed responsibility.

Despite the strikes, flotilla members said they were determined to continue. 

"The important thing now is to secure the flotilla and break the blockade of Gaza," said Ghassan Al-Hanshiri, a member of the fleet committee. 

He confirmed that the convoy would depart from Tunis at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. "Despite everything, the will to reach Gaza is stronger than before."

He said damage to the Family was minor, limited to the bow and a few burned sailing clothes. 

The group has called for boat repair experts to join them at the port to ensure the fleet can depart on schedule.

The Global Sumud Flotilla brings together the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Global Gaza Movement, the Sumud Convoy, and the Malaysian group Nusantara Sumud, in what is the latest international campaign to challenge Israel's naval blockade. 

Since 1 September, around 150 activists from 45 countries have gathered in the Mediterranean to join the fleet.

Twenty-two ships left Barcelona in late August, followed by another group from Genoa earlier this week. They are all docking at Tunisia after delays, in what organisers describe as the largest flotilla of its kind.

Organisers say the flotilla is meant not only to deliver aid, but to pierce the isolation around Gaza and draw international attention to the ongoing siege.

Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group.

The blockade has remained in place through conflicts, including the current war.

In early March, Israel also sealed off Gaza by land, letting in no supplies for three months, arguing that Hamas was diverting aid.

Facing the largest ever aid fleet to Gaza, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has promised to arrest all participants in 'terrorist prisons.'

At the port, activists and journalists described a mood of tension, but also one of defiance. In a statement from the ground, Ahmed Ouihmane, a Moroccan participant, said the alleged attacks had only strengthened volunteers' resolve. 

"Ships ready to depart will sail on Wednesday evening, while those requiring technical checks will follow later," he said from Sidi Bou Said.

The activist closed its statement with a slogan that he says has become a rallying cry among participants and supporters: "Terror will not terrify us, killing will not erase us, and the convoy of liberation carves its path with determination."