CBS reported that Netanyahu approved Israeli drone strikes on Gaza-bound aid ships off Tunisia, as Israeli forces later seized the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters and detained over 400 activists, sparking global protests.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally approved drone strikes last month against vessels participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound aid mission that included hundreds of international activists, CBS News revealed on Saturday.
Citing two US intelligence officials briefed on the operation, CBS reported that Israeli forces launched drones from a submarine on September 8 and 9, deploying incendiary devices onto two ships anchored off the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reportedly said the attacks caused fires aboard the vessels but did not result in casualties.
Under international humanitarian law, the use of incendiary weapons against civilian populations or civilian objects is prohibited in all circumstances.
Aid Ships Under Fire
The Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest international civilian effort in years to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, said its Portuguese-flagged vessel, Family, was hit on September 8. The following day, a British-flagged ship, the Alma, came under a similar attack, suffering fire damage to its upper deck.
Activists on board were able to extinguish the flames in both incidents. No one was injured.
According to flotilla organizers, Portuguese parliamentarian Mariana Mortágua had been aboard the Family the night before the attack, but had disembarked hours earlier. The group suggested the attackers deliberately waited until high-profile passengers had left.
CBS reported that security footage released by the flotilla shows a ball of fire descending onto the Alma, contradicting Tunisian authorities’ claim that the blaze originated inside the vessel.
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“Pro-Israeli accounts on social media claimed the fires were started after the activists did not use a flare gun properly,” CBS said.
In a statement, the flotilla condemned what it described as deliberate sabotage. “Whether the purpose of these attacks was to kill us, scare us away, or disable our boats, they recklessly endangered civilians and humanitarian volunteers,” it said.
“The world must take note: attempts to silence, intimidate, or obstruct our commitment to the Palestinian cause and people will not succeed. We call for urgent, independent investigations into these attacks and full accountability for those responsible.”
Escalation at Sea
The flotilla reported further harassment in late September while sailing south of Greece, claiming 15 low-altitude drones conducted mock attacks, dropping objects on at least 10 boats and causing damage. At least 13 explosions were reported, and activists said their communications were disrupted.
This week, Israeli naval forces intercepted the flotilla’s vessels in international waters, seizing humanitarian supplies and detaining dozens of activists, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and several European lawmakers.
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More than 400 volunteers from 47 countries were reportedly taken into custody.
The interceptions have sparked widespread demonstrations in Arab and Western capitals, with protesters denouncing Israel’s actions and calling for the immediate release of the detainees.
At Ketziot prison, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir labeled the flotilla participants “terrorists” and ordered prison officials to treat them accordingly. He later criticized Netanyahu’s decision to deport the activists, saying they should be imprisoned in Israel “for months.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
The cancer of the Middle-East has to be eradicated once and for all. No so called two state solution, no bullshit. Palestine is for Palestinians. Zionists, on the other hand, shall either be hanged or rot in jail.