Above photo: AFP.
Amid calls to ‘hand over’ aid.
After deploying navy ships to accompany the flotilla, the Italian PM called the initiative ‘gratuitous, dangerous, irresponsible’.
Several governments have warned their citizens participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla of an imminent Israeli attack, according to statements by the flotilla’s organizers on 25 September.
The aid convoy, made up of dozens of ships attempting to break the blockade on Gaza, sailed overnight through Greek waters and is expected to enter international waters within hours.
Activists reported that drones hovered over one of the ships, the Omar al-Mukhtar, which carries a mobile medical clinic, and confirmed that the fleet had already been targeted in 12 drone strikes that hit nine vessels.
Flotilla organizers say the mission will continue despite the threats, insisting on the need to deliver humanitarian supplies directly to the besieged strip and into the hands of its starving people.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto condemned the attacks and announced the deployment of a second frigate, one day after deploying the first, to escort the flotilla, now joined by Spain – which also contributed a military vessel to the expedition.
He said the Italian frigate Fasan, previously north of Crete, was already en route to the flotilla for possible rescue operations.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has proposed handing over the aid to Cyprus and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem for delivery to Gaza – an office in the Catholic Church with jurisdiction over Catholics in Israel and surrounding regions – to assume responsibility for delivery.
REPORT | Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni has lashed out at the humanitarian flotilla seeking to break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza.
Condemnation of the Drone Attack
➤ “My condemnation of what happened last night is total.”
➤ “We are carrying out our investigations to establish… https://t.co/KQr0qn3MGH pic.twitter.com/vwpDL7OQrS— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) September 24, 2025
“I want to reiterate what I think about this matter because all this is gratuitous, dangerous, irresponsible,” Meloni said in an interview.
“There is no need to risk one’s own safety. There is no need to enter a war zone to deliver aid to Gaza, which the Italian government and the relevant authorities [could have] delivered in a few hours,” she added.
URGENT 🚨 Don’t be fooled by Meloni’s naval deployment: It is nothing but a cynical rouse to demobilize the @gbsumudflotilla — in direct coordination with the State of Israel that attacked us.
We will reject this proposal. We will keep sailing. And we will complete our mission. pic.twitter.com/7Wrcx9IzAI
— David Adler (@davidrkadler) September 25, 2025
Her proposal aligns with Israeli demands that the aid be delivered to the port of Ashkelon, directly north of the Gaza Strip, so the aid can be transferred under Israeli supervision.
Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla rejected the demands by both Italian and Israeli governments, saying “Our mission stays true to its original goal of breaking (Israel’s) illegal siege and delivering humanitarian aid to the besieged population of Gaza.”
They described Tel Aviv’s demands as part of Israel’s long-standing blockade of Gaza rather than a neutral logistical proposal. They said the move was intended to obstruct relief and delegitimize efforts to challenge the siege.
“Since May 2025, after lifting its so-called ‘total blockade,’ Israel has permitted an average of only 70 trucks per day into Gaza, while UN agencies estimate that 500 to 600 trucks are required daily to meet basic needs,” their statement read.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote on X that “The Hamas flotilla refuses Israel’s proposal to unload aid peacefully at the nearby Ashkelon Marina. Instead, it chooses the illegal path – sailing into a combat zone and breaching the lawful naval blockade.”
The ministry accused the flotilla of seeking to “help Hamas” rather than deliver aid, insisting Ashkelon is the only viable channel for humanitarian supplies, even as hundreds of trucks remain stalled just outside the besieged enclave where famine continues to spread.
