Albares explained that the Spanish warship accompanying the fleet has been designated to protect the participating Spanish citizens. He added that Spain has also responded to Belgium’s request to protect its nationals on board the fleet, while talks are underway with Ireland and other European countries on this matter.
This statement comes amid warnings from several governments to their nationals participating, regarding a potential Israeli attack, as previously announced by the fleet’s administration.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking from New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, said, “A ship will set sail from the Cartagena naval base on Thursday, and its primary mission will be to provide protection and emergency assistance in case the fleet’s ships face any new attacks.”
Sanchez added that “his country’s move aims to ensure the safety of civilians and adherence to international law,” stressing that “Madrid will not stand idly by in the face of threats to the lives of hundreds of international activists.”
The Spanish stance follows a similar move by the Italian government, which announced the dispatch of ships to the Eastern Mediterranean. The dispatch of Spanish and Italian ships is a precedent in European handling of international popular initiatives heading to Gaza, where maritime convoys in past years have been met with interception or targeting, without receiving actual protection from any country.
Activists have confirmed that drones dropped unidentified objects on some ships, causing damage to the hulls and sails, while other participants spoke of the use of what might have been “sound bombs” for psychological impact, although independent confirmation of this was not possible.
