Spain And Italy Send Warships To Protect Gaza Aid Fleet

JAKARTA - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday he would join Italy in sending warships to protect international fleets seeking to deliver aid to Gaza after being attacked by drones off the Greek coast.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, PM Sanchez said citizens from 45 countries were on board to send food to Gazans and expressed solidarity with their sufferings.

"The Spanish government insists international law must be respected and the right of our citizens to sail through the Mediterranean in a safe condition must be respected," he said.

"Tomorrow we will ship a naval ship from Cartagena with all the necessary resources to assist the fleet and carry out rescue operations," added PM Sanchez.

The North Sumatra Global Fleet (GSF) uses about 50 civilian ships to try to break through Israel's sea blockade in Gaza, with many lawyers and activists on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The ships were attacked by 12 unmanned aircraft (drones) in international waters, 30 nautical miles (56 km) from Gavdos Island, Greece, Marikai Stasinou, spokesman for March to Gaza Greece, which is part of the fleet.

Previously, Italy sent its naval vessels to help the fleet after the drone strike.

All passengers survived after the drone exploded on board, Marikai Stasinou said.

The drone arrived in the middle of the night and dropped stun grenades and anti-gatal powder, which damaged the screens of several ships, according to two members of the European Parliament left Italy over the fleet.

Prior to the attack, radio on board began playing "ABBA's very loud music," Annalisa Corrado of the Democratic Party said in a video message.

"We thought it was a joke, but it wasn't, it was the first act of intimidation, to let us know they were close enough to get into our radio system."

The attack lasted about three hours until 4 a.m., said Benedetta Scuderi of the European-Green Alliance group to Italian public radio, RAI.

Meanwhile, a Greek coast guard official told Reuters the fleet members contacted them at around 02.00 to inform them of the incident. However, when contacted by EU border agency Frontex, the fleet said it needed no help, the official added.

The GSF said the attack affected 11 ships and blamed Israel and its allies for "unknown explosions, unmanned aircraft, and communication disruptions," saying they would not be intimidated and would continue to sail.

Italian Defense Ministerdo Crosetto strongly criticized the incident and said in a statement the sea convoy had been targeted by "the perpetrator who is currently unidentified".

He ordered the Italian multi-role frigate Virginio Fasan (F 591), which previously sailed north of Crete, to the fleet to carry out rescue operations, with a main focus on Italian citizens.

The GSF called on other countries to "ensure and facilitate effective protection, including maritime escort, accredited diplomatic observers, and the presence of an open protective state. Italy has now taken the first step in this direction."

Thunberg himself told Reuters on Monday the unmanned planes flew above them every day.

"This mission is about Gaza, not about us. And there is no risk that we can take that can approach the risks facing Palestine every day," Thunberg said in a video call from the ship.

Israel has repeatedly criticized the fleet for its implied support for Hamas, but has not commented on whether it is responsible for the unmanned aircraft attack.

Earlier this month, the fleet blamed Israel for another drone strike on their ships when they docked at the Tunisian port. Israel did not respond to the allegations.