Activist group says a drone hit a Gaza aid boat in Tunisia. Authorities deny claim

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TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — An international activist group seeking to deliver aid to Gaza on a flotilla said Tuesday one of its main boats was hit by a drone while docked in Tunisia. Tunisian authorities denied the claim, saying they were investigating a life jacket that caught on fire.

All onboard were unharmed.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement overnight one of its vessels, called the “Family,” traveling under a Portuguese flag, “was struck by a drone." The Family was carrying the most famous members of the flotilla, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and former Barcelona mayor, Ada Colau. It remained unclear if they were on board during the reported attack.

Footage posted on the group's social media showed a flash of light landing on one of the boats and setting off a fire. The group said the incident would not derail its mission to deliver aid to Gaza.

The flotilla, scheduled to leave Tunisia on Wednesday, is part of a broad movement to deliver aid to Gaza by boat.

Portuguese activist Miguel Duarte, who was aboard the vessel, said at a press conference in the capital, Tunis, on Tuesday that he clearly saw a drone just a few meters above his head moments before an explosion.

“The drone stood a few seconds on top of a bunch of life jackets. and then dropped a bomb,” Duarte said. “The bomb exploded, and there was a big flame. There was a fire on board immediately. We picked up the fire extinguishers, we were able to fight the fire successfully, and everybody was safe, fortunately.”

The Tunisian Interior Ministry said in a statement that reports about a drone attack were unfounded, and that specialized security units are investigating the fire.

The flotilla — which activists call “Steadfastness” in Arabic — set sail from Barcelona last week hoping to transport food, water and medicine to Gaza in defiance of Israel’s blockade on the enclave’s maritime border. The group had speculated about drones flying overhead on livestreams and social media.

Activists argue that the presence of doctors, artists, clergy and European politicians on board will help spotlight the blockade and Israel’s moves to enforce it. Last month, the world’s leading authority on food crises said Gaza Strip’s largest city has been gripped by famine, likely to spread across the territory, without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Neither the Israeli military nor government immediately responded to requests for comment

The GSF’s voyage comes three months after a smaller activist flotilla crossed the Mediterranean with plans to deliver aid to Gaza. In May, the group denounced a suspected drone attack on one of its vessels in international waters off Malta, accusing Israel of the attack.

An overland convoy traveling across North Africa also attempted to reach the border but was blocked by security forces aligned with Egypt in eastern Libya.

Israel has previously dismissed such efforts as publicity stunts, saying a blockade is necessary to prevent smuggling, particularly of weapons.

“Not only (do) we continue our mission, we keep on going, but since that (attack) happened, thousands and thousands of people are now volunteering again to join our mission,” said activist Thiago Ávila at Tuesday's press conference.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people on Oct. 7, 2023, and killed some 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants

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Zampano reported from Rome. Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco, contributed to this report