DaysofPal- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally authorized recent drone attacks on two vessels that were part of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, according to a report released Friday.
CBS News, citing two unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, said Israeli forces, acting on Netanyahu’s direct orders, launched drones from a submarine on September 8 and 9 and dropped incendiary devices on boats docked off the coast of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia.
The strikes set the vessels ablaze.
Under international humanitarian law, the use of incendiary weapons against civilians or civilian infrastructure is strictly forbidden.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which organized the maritime mission to break the Israeli naval blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, condemned the attacks.
The flotilla’s statement described them as “reckless assaults on civilians and humanitarian volunteers,” and called for urgent, independent investigations to ensure accountability.
One of the targeted ships, the Family, flew the Portuguese flag and had hosted Portuguese lawmaker Mariana Mortágua a day before it was struck.
The following night, the Alma, a British-flagged vessel, was attacked similarly.
Both vessels suffered fire damage, but no casualties were reported.
Activists believe the assailants deliberately waited until “elected officials or high-profile figures were absent.”
The group said that later in September, its flotilla was also harassed by 15 low-flying drones south of Greece.
At least 13 explosions were reported, and 10 vessels sustained minor damage, whereas communication systems were also disrupted.
Last week, Israeli naval forces intercepted all Gaza-bound vessels and detained dozens of activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and several European parliamentarians, a move that drew widespread international condemnation.
Since the Israeli occupation launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 168,000 wounded, the vast majority of them women and children.
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