Athens, September 24, 2025: Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound convoy carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists, have alleged that their boats came under multiple drone attacks off the coast of Greece from late Tuesday into early Wednesday.
In a statement, the organisers said: “Multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed and explosions heard from a number of boats.” They added that while the flotilla had endured what they described as “psychological operations,” they remained undeterred.
Brazilian activist and organiser Tiago Avila, wearing a life jacket, shared a video update at midnight, reporting 10 separate attacks involving sound bombs, explosive flares, and suspected chemical sprays. US activist Greg Stoker, whose boat was sailing off Crete, described how a drone dropped a small explosive device on his deck.
“Our VHF radio was hijacked by adversarial comms, and they started playing Abba,” Stoker said on Instagram, noting that several other boats also experienced interference.
Israel has not publicly commented on the reported drone attacks. However, on Tuesday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the flotilla of “pursuing a violent course of action” and serving Hamas rather than the people of Gaza.
It urged the organisers to hand over their aid supplies to Israeli authorities at Ashkelon Marina, promising a “coordinated and peaceful transfer to Gaza” — a proposal the flotilla organisers firmly rejected.
“If the flotilla continues to reject Israel’s peaceful proposal, Israel will take the necessary measures to prevent its entry into the combat zone,” the ministry warned, stressing that every effort would be made to ensure passenger safety.
Avila dismissed the offer as “manipulation from the Zionist regime,” insisting: “We can never believe an occupying force committing genocide will deliver aid — it’s not in their interests.”
The flotilla, which consists of 51 boats, set sail earlier this month from the western Mediterranean to challenge Israel’s long-running naval blockade of Gaza. It had already been targeted in two suspected drone attacks while docked in Tunisia before resuming its voyage.
The mission includes environmental activist Greta Thunberg alongside international campaigners, aid workers, and human rights defenders. Organisers describe the effort as a peaceful action to draw global attention to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, now deepened by the ongoing conflict.
Israel previously blocked two similar flotilla attempts in June and July this year.
