11-09-2025
TUNIS: The Global Sumud Flotilla says a drone has struck its main ship in Tunisia, causing a fire. All passengers and crew are safe.
The “Family boat” was preparing to travel to Gaza, trying to break the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian enclave, where a famine has been declared.
Vessels arrived in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia on Sunday, September 7, the last planned stop on their journey before continuing on to Gaza in a few days.
The Flotilla initially left Barcelona, Spain at the start of the month, but faced storm-related difficulties that have led to delays.
A number of prominent politicians and activists are participating in the flotilla including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and the former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau. Four Italian parliamentarians are also set to join.
Albanese says there is history of attacks, threats against Gaza flotillas
Francesca Albanese, the UN expert on Palestine, has been speaking from Tunisia about the drone attack.
She said the details “will have to be verified” but noted that the bombing is part of “a history of attacks on the flotilla”.
“There are current statements against the flotilla, threatening the flotilla, of course, from Israel,” Albanese said, noting that “there is no other state currently protecting this boat, other than Tunisia, creating a safe port”.
“If it’s confirmed that this is a drone attack, it will be an assault and aggression against Tunisia and against Tunisian sovereignty,” Albanese added.
“Again, we cannot keep on tolerating this and normalizing the illegal.”
Six crew members were on board the Family at time of attack
An unnamed member of the GSF, in a video posted on the group’s Instagram page, says that six people were on board the Family at the time of the drone attack, and that two of them were sleeping relatively close to the area that was bombed.
“So the evidence that we have available, which is obviously limited at this time, indicates that there was an incendiary device, some kind of incendiary device that was used on the ship itself, which caused the fire that was approximately 2 metres (6.5 ft.), went on for about five to six minutes,” the woman says.
“The crew who were on the ship were able to extinguish the fire themselves, thankfully. Thankfully, also, nobody was harmed,” she added.
“There were two individuals who were sleeping, relatively close to where the fire occurred, and a total of six people on the vessel.”
David Adler, the co-general coordinator of Progressive International, says large numbers of people are gathering at the port of Sidi Bou Said in Tunis in solidarity with the crew of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
“It’s 1 in the morning, and masses are mobilizing to the port of Sidi Bou Said following the drone attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla,” Adler said in a post on social media.
Sidi Bou Said is a port town located 20km (12 miles) from the Tunisian capital, Tunis.
Sumud flotilla accuses Israel of bombing the Family
Saif Abukeshek, a Palestinian activist and a member of the GSF’s steering committee, is accusing Israel of launching the attack on the Family.
“There is no other authority that would do such an attack, such a crime, except the Israeli authorities. They have been committing genocide for the past 22 months, and they are willing to attack a peaceful, non-violent flotilla,” he said in a video posted on the GSF’s official Instagram page.
Abukeshek said the participants of the flotilla are determined to continue their mission despite the latest attack. (Int’l News Desk)