This was stated in remarks published by Sa’ar on the platform ‘X’, where he accused the fleet of seeking to ‘provoke Israel and serve Hamas,’ pointing out its rejection of an Italian proposal that was acceptable to Tel Aviv. The minister explained that the Italian proposal included unloading humanitarian aid cargo at a Cypriot port, to be later transported to Gaza through agreed routes, confirming that the fleet organizers’ refusal of this proposal ‘proves that their goal is not purely humanitarian.’ Sa’ar stressed that Israel ‘will not allow the fleet to enter an active combat zone and will not allow’ in the sector. It is worth mentioning that the ‘Global Resilience Fleet’ is a civil society initiative involving citizens from several countries, aiming to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gaza residents via the sea route. Spain and Italy announced today, Wednesday, that they decided to send warships to protect the Global Resilience Fleet heading towards Gaza, after it was repeatedly attacked by drones in international waters. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking from New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, said, ‘A ship will sail from the Cartagena naval base on Thursday, and its primary mission will be to provide protection and emergency assistance if the fleet’s ships face any new assaults.’ Sanchez added that ‘his country’s move aims to ensure the safety of civilians and adherence to international law,’ affirming that ‘Madrid will not stand idly by in the face of threats to the lives of hundreds of international activists.’ The Spanish position came after a similar move by the Italian government, which announced the dispatch in the eastern Mediterranean.
