TUNIS, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out early Tuesday aboard a Gaza-bound vessel docked at a Tunisian port, with authorities and flotilla organizers offering conflicting accounts of the incident.
Tunisia's Interior Ministry said the blaze began in a stack of life jackets on the "Family" boat and was quickly contained. "The fire was swiftly brought under control, causing no casualties or significant damage apart from several burned jackets," the ministry said.
But organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said the vessel, sailing under a Portuguese flag, "was struck by a drone" in the early hours. No injuries were reported.
The Family, the largest ship in the flotilla, arrived in Tunisia on Sunday with other vessels preparing to depart for Gaza on Wednesday. Flotilla leaders accused unnamed individuals of attempting to sabotage their mission, but stated that their plans remained unchanged.
The GSF -- named after the Arabic word for "steadfastness" -- set sail from Barcelona on Aug. 31. Organizers say the campaign involves 20 vessels with activists from 44 countries and aims to expand to more than 60 after linking up with boats from Tunisia, Libya, and Italy. More than 1,000 activists are expected to join what they call the biggest maritime challenge yet to Israel's blockade of Gaza.
In June, Israeli forces intercepted another vessel, the Madleen, carrying 12 activists who attempted to breach the blockade. The activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and Brazilian rights advocate Thiago Avila, were deported after being escorted to Ashdod, Israel's largest port.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized that mission, accused Israel of acting unlawfully, saying the Madleen was "kidnapped" in international waters. It alleged that passengers were subjected to psychological pressure, including the use of irritant spray, jamming of communications, and disruptive radio noise.
Israel imposed a naval blockade on Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized control of the enclave. The restrictions were tightened following Hamas's deadly cross-border assault into southern Israel in October 2023.
The war, now in its 23rd month, has devastated Gaza's infrastructure and pushed its 2.3 million residents into a deep humanitarian crisis. UN agencies warn of impending famine, with the entire population facing acute food insecurity. ■
