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Italy dispatched a navy frigate on Wednesday to assist a Gaza-bound flotilla after organizers reported multiple drone attacks on their boats in Greek waters, prompting Rome to demand guarantees for the safety of its citizens.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said he ordered the intervention of the Fasan, a multi-purpose frigate sailing north of Crete as part of Operation Safe Sea, after speaking with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“To ensure assistance to the Italian citizens on the flotilla, I authorized the immediate intervention of the Italian Navy’s Fasan,” Crosetto said in a statement posted on X.
“The vessel is already en route to the area for possible rescue operations.”
Crosetto condemned the incident as an “attack” involving drones launched by “currently unidentified perpetrators.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona earlier this month to challenge Israel’s blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, said it came under harassment late Tuesday in Greece’s search-and-rescue zone.
Organizers reported more than a dozen explosions around the convoy and said “unidentified objects” dropped from drones damaged several boats.
Maria Elena Delia, the Italian spokesperson for the mission, told ANSA news agency that “boats from Italy, England and Poland were hit,” calling the incident “an attack on the three countries” and “a very serious episode, which sets a precedent.”
She said at least 15 drones targeted the flotilla, damaging four or five vessels, including one from Italy, which “will no longer be able to sail.”
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had contacted Israel to demand protection for “Italian citizens, along with members of parliament and MEPs” among the activists.
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The Foreign Ministry said it had warned Israel that “any operation entrusted to Israeli forces must be conducted in compliance with international law and the principle of absolute caution.”
Tajani instructed the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to gather information and repeat the request for “absolute protection” of those on board.
The Global Sumud Flotilla currently numbers 51 vessels, most of which are off the Greek island of Crete.
Organizers said the mission had already been targeted twice in suspected drone strikes in Tunisia before resuming its voyage.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among the participants.
Israel, which intercepted flotillas in June and July, reiterated Monday it would not allow the convoy to reach Gaza.
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