Tunisia denies Gaza aid flotilla boat was hit by drone at port
Gaza-bound flotilla said one of its boats was hit by a drone, while Tunisian authorities claimed a fire broke out on the vessel itself
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza said on Tuesday that one of its main boats was struck by a drone at a port in Tunisia, though all six passengers and crew were safe.
Tunisia’s interior ministry said that reports of a drone hitting a boat at its Sidi Bou Said port “have no basis in truth”, and that a fire broke out on the vessel itself.
The Portuguese-flagged boat, carrying the flotilla’s steering committee, sustained fire damage to its main deck and below-deck storage, the GSF said in a statement.
The flotilla is an international initiative seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza using civilian boats supported by delegations from 44 countries, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua.
A video posted by the GSF on X showed the moment “the Family Boat was struck from above”, capturing a luminous flying object hitting the vessel with smoke rising soon after. After the strike, dozens of people gathered outside the Sidi Bou Said port, where the flotilla’s boats were located at the time of the incident, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine”, a Reuters witness said.