Attack on Gaza aid ship was “orchestrated”, says Tunisia
The Tunisian interior Ministry has said the attack on a ship of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) was “orchestrated,” The New Arab via Reuters on September 11th.
Two attacks on the GSF had taken place according to video footage. The UN special reporter for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, shared a video of the second attack with a caption which said it appears “a drone — with no light so it could not be seen — dropped a device” which set ablaze the deck of a boat.
Following the incidents, the Tunisian interior ministry released a statement that said the “assault” upon the ship at the Sidi Bou Said port had been “orchestrated.”
This statement from the Tunisian interior ministry has muddied the legitimacy of earlier statements from Tunisian authorities. Following the first attack, Tunisian authorities described the claims of a drone attack as “unfounded.”
Significantly, the Tunisian interior ministry did not accuse any nation or party of orchestrating the assault.
Albanese made clear she views the drone activity as “an attack against Tunisian sovereignty”.
The Israeli military have not responded to a request for a statement.
Reportedly, there have been no injuries from the attacks and authorities were able to control the fire from the assault on the night of September 10th.
Thousands of Tunisians gathered in the shores of Sidi Bou Said to show their support for the flotilla after the attack on September 10th.
People chanted “viva Palestine” and waved Palestinian flags when the flotilla first docked in Sidi Bou Said on September 7th.
After the International Association of Genocide Scholars said Israel’s military activities in Gaza met the legal criteria for genocide on September 1st, the flotilla is seen by some as a beacon of possible hope.
The New Arab via Reuters, Maghrebi.org
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