Italy and Spain send ships after flotilla says drones attacked vessels south of Greece

# Italy and Spain send ships after flotilla says drones attacked vessels south of Greece

*Event date: 2025-09-25*

The Italian and Spanish governments sent naval vessels to help monitor and, if needed, rescue members of the Global Sumud Flotilla after activists said several of their boats were attacked by drones while sailing south of Greece. The move followed a night of reported explosions, communications disruption and damage to some vessels in a convoy that organizers say is trying to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza with a symbolic amount of aid.

The flotilla said the attack happened overnight and involved unidentified drones and communications jamming. In the AP report, activists said they heard at least 13 explosions around several boats and that unidentified objects were dropped on at least 10 vessels. The group reported damage but no casualties. Greece’s coast guard said it had not received any distress calls. The Israeli military did not immediately answer questions about the incident.

Italy’s defense minister, Guido Crosetto, said a frigate was being sent to the area from north of Crete for possible rescue operations. He said Italy had informed Israel about the decision. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also said Spain would send a patrol vessel to assist the flotilla or carry out a rescue. Both governments framed the deployment as a response to the need to protect civilians and uphold international law at sea.

The flotilla, which organizers say includes about 50 vessels and participants from dozens of countries, says it is carrying food and medicine for Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has accused the organizers of ties to Hamas, an accusation the group rejects. Israeli officials have proposed that the aid be unloaded in the port of Ashkelon for transfer into Gaza, saying they will not allow a breach of the blockade.

The incident also drew attention from European Union and United Nations officials. An EU spokesperson warned against the use of force and said freedom of navigation under international law must be upheld. A UN human rights spokesperson called for an investigation. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who is on board one of the boats, described the strikes as a scare tactic and said the focus should remain on Gaza.

The confrontation is the latest in a series of standoffs involving flotillas that have tried to reach Gaza over the years. Activists say this is the largest attempt yet to break the maritime blockade, which has now lasted 18 years. The broader conflict has already produced a sharply deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the flotilla’s organizers say that is the reason they set sail.

Italian officials said 58 Italians were among the participants, including some lawmakers. Italy’s foreign ministry later said its systems were hit by a mail-bombing campaign after the attack report, complicating its crisis response. The episode now sits at the intersection of maritime security, protest politics and the war in Gaza, with each side making sharply different claims about the purpose and legality of the flotilla’s mission.