ISRAEL QUESTIONS MOTIVES
Previous attempts to breach the Gaza blockade have been stopped by force. In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists aboard the Mavi Marmara aid ship.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a strong ally of Israel, said no use of force was expected from Italy’s navy, calling the flotilla “gratuitous, dangerous and irresponsible”.
The flotilla has accused Israel of carrying out the drone attack, in which stun grenades and itching powder were dropped on boats off the Greek island of Gavdos.
Israel did not address the accusation directly but said aid could be delivered via nearby ports. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X that rejecting the Cyprus option showed the flotilla’s “real purpose is provocation and serving Hamas”.
“Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach of a lawful naval blockade,” he said.
TENSIONS RISE AT SEA
The flotilla said its vessels were sailing slowly in Greek waters and had faced “moderate drone activity” overnight, adding that some activists had chosen to disembark.
“It is clear that tensions are rising, and with them, risks are also rising,” said Annalisa Corrado, an EU lawmaker from Italy’s opposition Democratic Party aboard one of the boats.
Israel’s nearly two-year-old war on Gaza was launched after the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Gaza health authorities say more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, with widespread famine, destruction and mass displacement.
