A boat carrying Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and fellow campaigners was reportedly hit by a drone while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, according to organizers of the mission. The incident occurred aboard the “Family Boat,” which was sailing under a Portuguese flag in Tunisian waters, organizers from the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement on Monday.
The boat, which carried members of the flotilla’s Steering Committee, including Thunberg, was docked at the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said when the strike took place, the Israel Times reported.
The group stated that the boat’s main deck and below-deck storage were engulfed in flames and sustained significant damage.
Global Sumud Flotilla Incident Caught On Camera
Footage released by the flotilla showed two people scrambling across the boat after a flash of light struck the vessel. In another clip shared on social media, voices could be heard shouting, “There’s a fire on the front deck,” as flames rose from the bow.
Thunberg, 22, was among activists on 20 boats that departed from Barcelona on August 31 as part of what organizers called the “largest solidarity mission” to Gaza in history. Israel had earlier warned that it planned to intercept the flotilla and detain participants under “terrorist-level” conditions in detention centers, according to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.
Ahead of the journey, Thunberg said the mission was “part of a global uprising of people standing up” against “atrocities” in Gaza.
Global Sumud Flotilla Responds to Drone Attack
Following the reported strike, the Global Sumud Flotilla condemned what it described as intimidation tactics.
“Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us. Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve,” the group declared.
Houcem Eddine Jebabli, a spokesperson for Tunisia’s national guard, told AFP news agency that no drones were detected in the area.
“According to preliminary findings, a fire broke out in the life jackets on board a ship anchored 50 miles from the port of Sidi Bou Said,” he said.
Authorities suggested the fire may have been sparked by a cigarette.
Protests in Tunisia
In the aftermath, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Sidi Bou Said port, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine” as the flotilla’s damaged boats remained docked.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
