KEY POINTS
- UN calls for probe into alleged Israeli drone strikes on Gaza aid flotilla.
- Global Sumud Flotilla blames Israel for explosions and damage to vessels.
- EU condemns the Israeli attacks as unacceptable.
- Italy deploys a navy frigate to assist and protect the aid flotilla.
- Global Sumud Flotilla accuses Israel of endangering 500+ unarmed civilians, including Greta Thunberg.
- Israel insists flotilla will not be allowed to breach its blockade of Gaza.
- Humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, with over 65,400 Palestinians killed in nearly two years.
- Israeli tanks push deeper into Gaza City amid heavy casualties.
- UN chief says Gaza death toll and destruction exceed any conflict seen during his tenure.
ROME, Italy: The United Nations on Wednesday called for an investigation into alleged Israeli drone attacks on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, as the European Union slammed the strikes as unacceptable and Italy dispatched a navy frigate to provide assistance.
The Global Sumud Flotilla blamed Israel for the more than a dozen explosions heard around the flotilla late on Tuesday off Greece, with damage caused by “unidentified objects” dropped on deck.
“Israel escalates dangerous attacks”, including “the deployment of explosive and incendiary devices, deliberate dispersal of chemical substances onto civilian vessels,” and attempts to render the boats unseaworthy, the aid flotilla said.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said anyone responsible for the “violations” should be held accountable.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) set sail from Barcelona this month with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid.
Israel, which blocked two previous attempts by activists to reach Gaza by sea in June and July, has said it will not allow the flotilla to reach the besieged Palestinian territory amid widespread famine and a rising number of malnutrition deaths.
“Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade,” foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said as quoted by AFP.
“If their intentions are sincere, they should transfer any such aid to the nearby Ashkelon Marina so it can be forwarded promptly to the Gaza Strip in a non-violent manner,” he said.
‘Strongest condemnation’
GSF accused Israel of “endangering the more than 500 unarmed civilians aboard the flotilla” that is carrying activists from 45 countries, including Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg.
Thunberg said the “scare tactic” was “not going to stop us”.
“We are sailing peacefully in international waters. We are not carrying weapons. We are carrying food, baby formula, medical supplies, and water,” she said in a live interview on GSF’s Instagram account.
Italy dispatched a frigate that was already in the eastern Mediterranean to provide protection for the flotilla, which is carrying Italian activists and members of parliament.
“The vessel is already en route to the area for possible rescue operations”, Defence Minister Guido Crosettohe posted on X.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he told Israel that “any operation entrusted to Israeli forces must be conducted in compliance with international law”.
The Global Sumud Flotilla currently numbers 51 vessels, most of which are off the Greek island of Crete.
Earlier, vessels waiting to join the flotilla had already been targeted in two suspected drone attacks in Tunisia.
Maritime escort
The Greek coastguard, cited by AFP, said that a patrol boat from the EU borders agency Frontex was directed to the area “in response to a report of a threat” to a Polish-flagged boat, but the crew said “they did not require assistance”, so it left.
Eva Hrncirova, European Commission spokesperson, said “the freedom of navigation under international law must be upheld”.
“No attacks, no drone strikes, no seizures or any use of force against the flotilla is acceptable”, she said.
The Sumud Flotilla describes itself as an independent group not linked to any government or political party. Sumud is Arabic for “resilience”.
Israel has launched a major air and ground offensive on Gaza City, exacerbating humanitarian conditions in the besieged Palestinian territory.
After nearly two years of military offensive, Israeli military operations have killed at least 65,419 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Gaza, figures the UN considers reliable.
Israeli tanks push deeper into Gaza City
Israeli forces have pushed towards the heart of Gaza City, risking the lives of Palestinians who had stayed put in hopes that growing pressure on Israel for a ceasefire would mean they would not lose their homes, Reuters reported.
The Israeli government has warned the population of Gaza City to move south, but many people hesitated, citing the lack of security and widespread hunger there.
“We moved to the western area near the beach, but many families didn’t have the time, tanks took them by surprise,” said Thaer, a 35-year-old father of one from Tel Al-Hawa.
Gaza’s health authorities said on Wednesday that at least 64 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since dawn, with 42 of them dying in besieged Gaza City.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Al-Shifa Hospital and Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City reported 17 and 25 deaths, respectively. Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said the Israeli army killed another 16 people.
Medics said at least 20 people were killed and many others wounded when Israeli airstrikes hit a shelter housing displaced families near a market in the middle of the city. Two other people were killed in a house nearby, they said.
“We were sleeping in God’s care, there was nothing — they did not inform us, or not even give us a sign — it was a surprise,” said Sami Hajjaj.
The latest killings come a day after UN chief Guterres said the “scale of death and destruction” in Israel’s onslaught on Gaza was beyond any other conflict he has seen during his tenure.
