Gaza aid convoy says Israeli warships used cyberattack to disrupt mission delivering food, medicine
According to Reuters, two Israeli warships closed in on the fleet and encircled its boats, Alma and Sirius, causing their navigation and communication systems to crash.
An international convoy attempting to deliver aid to Gaza has accused Israeli vessels of aggressive manoeuvres and a cyberattack as it approached the blockaded coastal strip on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, two Israeli warships closed in on the fleet and encircled its boats, Alma and Sirius, causing their navigation and communication systems to crash.
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One activist on board described the disruption as a "cyber attack," while reports indicated that the flotilla later managed to restore partial communications. The Israeli government has yet to comment on the incident.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising more than 40 civilian boats with about 500 passengers—including parliamentarians, lawyers, activists, and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg—set sail from Europe earlier this month. Its aim is to deliver food and medicine directly to Gaza in defiance of Israel’s naval blockade.
Currently about 120 nautical miles from Gaza’s coast, the flotilla expects to arrive on Thursday morning unless intercepted.
"These hostile actions placed unarmed civilians from over 40 countries in grave danger," organisers said in a statement, vowing to press ahead with the mission.
Tensions rising
Tensions have been rising after drones attacked the flotilla days earlier with stun grenades and itching powder, causing damage but no injuries. Israel has not claimed responsibility but has repeatedly warned it will stop any boats from reaching Gaza, arguing the blockade is necessary to contain Hamas.
Italy and Spain have deployed naval ships to monitor the convoy for humanitarian purposes, but said they would not intervene militarily.
Both countries confirmed they would withdraw once the flotilla came within 150 nautical miles of Gaza for safety reasons. Turkish drones have also been spotted tracking the group.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the UN’s top expert on Palestinian rights, cautioned that intercepting the flotilla would breach international law, stressing that Israel has no legal jurisdiction over Gaza’s waters.
Israel has enforced a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the enclave in 2007. Previous attempts to break it have ended in confrontation, including the deadly 2010 raid on a flotilla in which nine activists were killed, as well as the detention of Thunberg and 11 others in June this year.
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