Western media reported on Friday morning that the fleet, which includes about 50 civilian boats carrying lawyers, activists, and prominent figures such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, is seeking to break the Israeli naval blockade imposed on Gaza. Gerabetridis confirmed that Greece informed Israel about the participation of Greek citizens on board, saying, “There are a few boats in the waters of Crete, and we will ensure safe sailing.” The Greek minister emphasized that Athens has already informed about the participation of Greek citizens in this and is keen to ensure that things go smoothly. Gerabetridis downplayed the seriousness of the incident where the fleet was indeed attacked by 12 drones in international waters near the island of Gavdos, noting that Athens will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. This statement comes amid warnings from several governments to their citizens participating in a potential Israeli attack, as announced by the fleet’s administration earlier. Spain and Italy announced on Wednesday that they decided to send warships to protect the Global Resilience Fleet heading towards the Gaza Strip after it was repeatedly attacked by drones in international waters. The dispatch of Spanish and Italian ships is considered unprecedented in European dealings with international popular initiatives heading to Gaza, as maritime convoys in past years have been met with interception or targeting without any actual protection provided by any country. Organizers of the Global Resilience Fleet reported that drones attacked its civilian ships on Wednesday night in international waters near the Greek island of Gavdos, about 30 nautical miles from the coast. According to reports published by international media, explosives were dropped from those aircraft on 11 ships within the fleet, causing material damage without human injuries. Media sources reported that at least 13 explosions echoed around the boats, coinciding with communication disruptions that complicated coordination among the crews. Activists confirmed that the drones dropped unidentified objects on some ships, causing damage to the structures and sails, while other participants spoke of the use of what might have been “sound bombs” to create psychological effects, although this could not be independently confirmed.
