Flotilla organisers report second drone attack.
Demonstrations were held on Tuesday evening in Rome and other Italian cities in protest against a drone attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla which is carrying aid to Gaza.
Thousands of people gathered in Rome’s San Lorenzo district, in a march organised by pro-Palestinian groups and students of La Sapienza University, with reports of isolated scuffles with police.
“We’re the ones blowing the wind in the sails” – protesters shouted into megaphones – “If they stop the ships, we’ll blockade the city.”
The rally came after a torchlight procession on Sunday night when tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Rome in support of the humanitarian mission.
Flotilla organisers said on Tuesday night that one of their boats had been hit by another drone attack while docked off the Tunisian coast, the second such strike in two days.
The flotilla is set to resume its voyage on Wednesday after weather conditions and other issues delayed the mission by several days.
The boats will attempt to break through the Israeli naval blockade to deliver food and other humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, however Israel has vowed to prevent the flotilla from reaching its destination.
Asked about the first drone attack on the flotilla, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Tuesday specified that the incident occurred in “Tunisian territorial waters” and involved a “Portuguese-flagged vessel”.
“There were no Italians involved or injured, so we can’t do anything” – Tajani said – “We’re waiting to see what happens. Our embassy in Tunis is alerted to the presence of Italian citizens there… It’s not up to Italy to investigate.”
He stressed it was a “risky” mission and reiterated the government’s position that the best way to deliver aid to Gaza is via “institutional” channels.
Tajani said he will call his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar in the coming days to discuss the flotilla, adding: “We can’t do anything other than guarantee full consular support to the Italians [on board the flotilla] who may encounter problems, if and when they arrive on Israeli soil”.
Photo credit: Adriano Cirasa / Shutterstock.com.
