Organizers and participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla claimed that drones flew over their vessels and surveyed them on Tuesday night as they sailed to attempt to break the Israeli blockade around Gaza.
Sumud committee organizer Yasemin Acar said in an Instagram video that around 90 nautical miles from the Island of Menorca, they “detected the first drones.”
Each vessel in the flotilla had a drone flying above them, according to Acar’s assessment, surveilling the group of ships that had embarked from Barcelona on Monday after poor weather conditions forced the mission to turn back from their initial launch on Sunday. Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila called for accountability against those who were surveilling the “humanitarian mission” and questioned how much funding was invested into such an operation.
In a June blockade run, climate activist Greta Thunberg panicked when her ship, the Madleen, was approached by Greek Coast Guard drones, and in May, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition claimed that one of their vessels was attacked by a drone off the shores of Malta.
Climate doesn't help Thunberg's flotilla
The flotilla of dozens of ships has faced difficulties beyond its initial embarking from Barcelona. Crew members complained of rough waters through Monday night and a storm that knocked out communications between the ships. The Sumud Flotilla said in a Tuesday statement that five of their smaller ships had to turn back to port on Monday night.
“When small civilian vessels must do the work that governments have failed to do, sailing to break the siege and end the genocide, challenges like these are common,” said the organization. “If even one of the complicit governments sent their far more capable ships to Gaza, these obstacles would not fall on ordinary people.”
Acar said in a Tuesday Instagram video that “the sea is finally aligning with us. The waters are calmer now, but not our resolve.”
The Spanish-origin flotilla is set to join with vessels from Tunis, Greece, and Italy, but it is unclear if they will still meet the rendezvous date of September 4.
Flotilla organizers claimed to be carrying water, food, and other aid for Gazans, and that their main mission is to create global solidarity against Israeli policy toward Gaza.