(Reuters)-The international flotilla that tries to bring Gaza aid said that Israeli vessels approached some of their boats and made “dangerous and intimidating maneuvers” on Wednesday as the flotilla approaches the track hit by war.
The organizers of the mission said that two Israeli “war ships” quickly approached and surrounded two of the flotilla boats, the soul and Sirius. All navigation and communication devices were out of air where one of the organizers on board, Thiago Ávila, described at a press conference as a “cyber attack.”
The flotilla seems to have recovered some communications. The Israeli authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Free list
10 Small Caps to Invest
The list of actions of promising sectors of the Scholarship
The Global Sumud flotilha consists of over 40 civil boats that carry about 500 people, including parliamentarians, lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The mission is the latest maritime attempt to break Israel’s blockade to the Palestinian enclave to deliver food and medicines. Currently, it is 120 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza, inside an area that Israel is policing to prevent any vessel from approaching.
The flotilla hopes to arrive on Thursday morning if not intercepted.
Continues after advertising
“These hostile actions have placed unarmed civilians from more than 40 countries in serious danger,” Flotilha said in a statement, adding that he will continue his course towards Gaza.
It was unclear who operated the vessels that approached the flotilla. A video posted on the Flotilha Instagram page showed the silhoued contour of what it seemed to be a military boat with a cannon tower near the civil boats.
Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed from the Sirius boat because its cord and lines corresponded to the archive images of the boat. Reuters could not confirm the identity of the other vessel in the video or when the video was filmed.
Continues after advertising
The tensions around the flotilla have increased in recent days since it was attacked by drones, which have launched stunning grenades and itching powder on vessels, causing damage, but without injury.
Israel did not comment on this attack, but said it will use all means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that their naval block is legal because it fights Hamas militants in the coastal enclave.
Italy and Spain have sent ships to help with any rescue or humanitarian necessity, but said they will not be militarily involved. Turkish drones also followed the boats.
Continues after advertising
However, Italy and Spain said they would stop following the flotilla when it reached 150 nautical miles (278 km) from safety reasons.
At the press conference held by the organizers on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the UN’s main expert on Palestinian rights, said that any interception of the flotilla “would be another violation of international law, the sea law”, as Israel has no legal jurisdiction in the waters of Gaza.
Israel has imposed a naval blockade Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007 and there were several previous attempts of activists to deliver Gaza by sea, both during the last conflict and others.
Continues after advertising
In 2010, nine activists were killed after Israeli soldiers approached a flotilla of six manned ships by 700 pro-palestine militants from 50 countries.
In June this year, Israeli naval forces detained Thunberg and 11 members of the crew of a small ship organized by a pro-Palestine group called Freedom Flotilla Coalition as they approached Gaza.
On Wednesday, Italy and Greece jointly asked Israel to not hurt the activists on board and asked the flotilla to deliver the help to the Catholic Church for indirect delivery to Gaza-an appeal that the flotilla had previously rejected.
Continues after advertising
(Reportation of Minmay Dey, in Bengaluru, and Emma Pineo and Alvise Armellini)
