Key points
- British-flagged Alma damaged in suspected drone strike; no injuries reported
- Tunisian officials deny strike, blaming onboard accident
- Activists released video of “luminous object,” but forensic verification remains pending
- Organisers reaffirm mission to circumvent Israel’s blockade of Gaza
ISLAMABAD: The Global Sumud Flotilla, an international aid initiative to deliver vital supplies to Gaza, said on Wednesday that one of its boats was attacked by a drone at a Tunisian port, the second such strike in two days.
The GSF, which is seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza using civilian boats, said in a statement that all passengers and crew were unharmed.
The flotilla vessel caught fire in Tunisian waters but the Tunisian authorities countered that the blaze was an onboard accident, confirming no one was harmed.
The Flotilla, comprises around 50 vessels from more than 40 countries, including British, Portuguese, Spanish and Tunisian-registered boats, organisers said. The mission departed in late August—launching from ports such as Barcelona (August 31), Genoa (August 30), and Catania—and aims to converge mid-September off Gaza’s coast, according to statements from the coordinating committee.
Fire on board Alma
The British-flagged Alma was anchored at Sidi Bou Said port when “a bright object was seen descending from the sky,” activating a fire on the deck, Global Sumud Flotilla organisers said. They added that the six crew and passengers suffered no injuries, and the fire was contained swiftly by onboard personnel.
Participant Lina Al-Tamimi, identified by the flotilla organisers as a Jordanian volunteer aboard the Alma, told Reuters: “It came from above, it wasn’t an accident.” In contrast, the Tunisian Interior Ministry stated in a press release that no drone activity was detected, preliminary findings indicate an internal ignition—“possibly from a burning life jacket”—and an investigation has been initiated.
Video Scrutiny
The video circulated by the flotilla shows a glowing object descending before the fire erupted, Reuters reported. A European maritime security analyst quoted by Reuters cautioned that the footage “could be anything from a flare to a small incendiary drone payload,” underlining the need for independent forensic analysis.
Meanwhile, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese warned that, if confirmed as a drone strike, the incident “would violate Tunisian sovereignty and maritime law.”
The Flotilla Mission Under Pressure
The flotilla, with high-profile figures onboard such as Greta Thunberg in earlier legs, is challenging Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, organisers said in public statements. After the Alma incident, they affirmed: “We are not deterred. Our mission remains moral and urgent—Gaza needs aid.” Israel has not officially commented on the latest incidents.
Previous flotilla attempts
Since 2008, activists have repeatedly attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza using flotillas. In 2008, two boats from the Free Gaza Movement successfully reached Gaza, while 31 flotillas attempted entries from 2008 to 2016, of which five breached the blockade, according to Al Jazeera’s retrospective.
In the most infamous mission, the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, killing 10 activists, drawing global outrage and reshaping diplomatic discourse.
Subsequent flotillas—including Freedom Flotilla III (2015) and Just Future for Palestine (2018)—were intercepted before arrival; Al Jazeera notes that all attempts since 2010 have been halted or attacked. More recently, 2025 efforts, such as the Conscience near Malta, were reportedly struck by armed drones, and the Madleen and Handala were intercepted or boarded before reaching Gaza, according to Press TV.
