Suspected drone hits aid flotilla heading for Gaza

A ship taking part in the latest flotilla to break Israel’s siege on Gaza has been attacked in what many suspect to be a drone attack in Tunisia’s waters, according to France 24 via AFP on September 9th.

The organisers behind the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) announced late on September 8th that one of their boats, which is part of a flotilla carrying prominent activists such as Greta Thunberg had been struck by an alleged UAV.

Members of the flotilla only arrived in Tunisia on September 7.

A spokesperson for Tunisia’s National Guard, Houcem Eddine Jebabli said that the investigation into the incident remained “ongoing,” claiming “no drones have been detected in the area.”

According to the national guard, claims of a drone strike were “unfounded.” Jebabli also said: “According to preliminary findings, a fire broke out in the life jackets on board.” The national guard suggested the incident may have been caused by a cigarette.

Despite Tunisia’s overwhelming support for the Palestinian cause, and an end to the ongoing war in Gaza, the Tunisian Government has continually cracked down on pro-Palestine activists and demonstrations.

The incident was reported by crew 50 miles from Tunisia‘s port of Sidi Bou Said, where the flotilla was anchored at the time.

Thunberg was not on board when the strike occurred according to another activist, Yusuf Omar, who was aboard the boat. No casualties have been reported in the attack with the GSF reporting that all crew members were safe, according to Al Jazeera. although they admitted that there was significant damage to the boat’s deck and below-deck storage area.

Initially, it was reported as a small fire that was quickly extinguished, as stated by an AFP journalist who was at the scene. However, video showing an object falling from the sky and then exploding has now been made publicly available.

Portuguese activist Miguel Duarte, who was also on board the boat at the time, said in a statement near the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said: “This is a shameful attack, and we will not be deterred.”

Duarte described hearing the drone hover just meters above his head before it dropped the incendiary device, according to CNN.

This is not the first time that aid ships sailing to Gaza to break the Israeli siege have been under threat, with Israel using aggressive tactics in preventing a previous boat carrying Thunberg among others. So far in 2025, three attempts have been made to bring aid to Gaza via international waters, which have been prevented by Israel from reaching the enclave.

In May, the Conscience ship was allegedly attacked by a drone strike, which forced 30 Turkish and Azerbaijani activists to scramble to keep water out and their ship afloat.

Then in June, the Madleen was aggressively boarded in international waters, while 12 activists including Greta Thunberg were present on the ship.

In July, the Handala, a boat carrying aid to the starving population of Gaza was raided by Israeli forces.

Naturally, there is much speculation about how Israel will respond to the Sumud Flotilla, but if the previous attempts to break the siege alone are anything to go by, there is an extremely serious cause for concern over the safety of activists and organisers of the aid ships.

Desperation is growing across the world as plans for the fate of Gaza is becoming clearer, while pressure to break the siege continues to mount as alternative routes to end the conflict in Gaza have so far not succeeded.

France 24 via AFP, CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC News, Maghrebi.org