Amid drone attacks, activists confront fear and hope on Gaza flotilla

On board the Alma, Greek territorial waters – The activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla remain alert. Wednesday’s drone attack on the vessels – heading towards Gaza to break Israel’s siege on the Palestinian enclave – is not expected to be the last.

As the flotilla, currently travelling in Greek territorial waters, nears Gaza, a larger Israeli attack is expected.

“What happened was yet another war crime committed against civilians, against a humanitarian mission,” said Yasemin Acar, a 38-year-old German-Turkish member of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee.

Acar is experienced in spotting drones and assessing security risks, having previous experience trying to reach Gaza on June’s Madleen flotilla, which Israel intercepted. The crew – including Acar – were detained and then deported by Israel.

Drone attack

The flotilla had already been on high alert before Wednesday’s attack. Israel had issued repeated threats, and flotilla vessels had been attacked while at port in Tunisia earlier in September.

That meant that when Acar saw the reflections of three unidentified objects in the orange sky of sunset on Tuesday, she immediately told volunteers on board the flotilla to be “extra aware” once darkness set in.

Drones were seen approaching the Alma, one of the vessels in the flotilla, at about 8pm (17:00 GMT) on Tuesday. From then on, the activists on watch duty reported an increase in drones flying over the ship – with 15 counted in total through the night.

By 11pm (20:00 GMT), problems with radio and internet communications were reported, marking the prelude to the attack.

The decision was made to wake all the volunteers, put on life vests, and gather at the designated meeting point on the ship for further instructions. In the distance, the lights of the sailboats of the flotilla swayed from side to side, visible from the Alma. Bursts of light and the sound of explosions above the sailboats were seen and heard by the volunteers.

More explosions followed, and broken communications reported the possible use of chemicals, as drones continued flying at low altitude, and attacked the sailboats.

Thirteen explosions were reported in total through the night, according to a news statement from the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Good spirits

By dawn on Wednesday, Acar was able to give the all clear.

But things are likely to only get more dangerous from here.

Israel threatened the flotilla again on Thursday. “Israel will not allow any vessel to enter the active combat zone,” said Israeli Foreign Ministry official Eden Bar Tal, who added that the flotilla was provocative and “serving Hamas”, an accusation the flotilla activists reject.

The flotilla has received a welcome boost, however, with Spain and Italy sending navy ships to protect it as it gets closer to Gaza.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Thursday that Spain had accepted a request from Belgium to assist citizens on board the flotilla, and was having conversations with Ireland on the same topic.

The unprecedented move adds to the support the pro-Palestinian movement is getting in Europe, with mass protests and port blockades held in Italy over the weekend.

The flotilla itself is now only a few days away from Gaza, a final push that brings a rollercoaster of emotions for the volunteers on board, many of whom have been away from their families, homes, and jobs for more than a month.

The backdrop of the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people – more than 65,000 killed, thousands still under rubble, and hundreds dying of hunger – remains ever present as the Israeli attack on Gaza City continues.

But the joy of spotting fellow volunteers on the horizon and sailing together again has rekindled some of the energy drained by the lengthy and difficult journey.

And as other boats in the flotilla approach the Alma, it’s an opportunity to sing a new song the volunteers have written in Spanish: “Gaza, we are arriving.”