Above photo: X.
Activists heard around 10 explosions after seeing drones target several of the flotilla’s boats off the coast of Greece.
NOTE: The following is from a press statement by the Global Sumud Flotilla:
Global – In the final days before reaching Gaza, the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) is experiencing an alarmingly dangerous escalation, with multiple boats reporting targeted explosions and unidentified objects being dropped on and near the boats, causing significant damage and widespread obstruction in communications.
This comes on top of a sustained campaign of intimidation and disinformation by Israel, aimed at discrediting and endangering the 500+ unarmed civilians aboard the flotilla who are attempting to deliver food and medical supplies to Gaza to help end Israel’s illegal blockade.
Explosions and Jamming: Tonight, at least 13 explosions were heard on and around several flotilla boats, with widespread disruption in communications, raising urgent concerns for the safety of participants.
Drones Overhead: In the past 24 hours, more than 15 low-altitude drones have hovered above the Alma boat, appearing roughly every 10 minutes.
Unidentified Objects Dropped: Flotilla participants reported objects being dropped on at least 10 boats from drones or aircrafts, causing damage. No fatalities have been reported. The extent of the damage will be fully assessed in daylight.
Coordinated Smear Campaign: Israel continues to falsely label the GSF the “Hamas flotilla, ” asserting that it plans to engage in violent action. This disinformation campaign is an attempt to pre-emptively justify military action against a civilian-led, nonviolent, humanitarian mission.
International law is clear: Civilians, including those engaged in humanitarian missions, are protected under the Geneva Conventions. Any attack on this mission would constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. It would also violate the International Court of Justice’s binding provisional measures, which require Israel to allow and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
We demand that all UN Member States—and in particular those whose nationals are aboard the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla—immediately ensure and facilitate effective protection, including maritime escort, accredited diplomatic observers, and an overt protective State presence, so that the flotilla may proceed safely, the mission may continue unimpeded, and the law prevails over acts of annihilation. In light of the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, we call upon all Member States to place the attacks on the flotilla on the Assembly’s agenda and to adopt a resolution addressing these grave violations.
Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in a statement on 24 September that an Italian navy ship has been redirected towards the Global Sumud Flotilla to provide it with “possible assistance,” after it came under a series of Israeli attacks overnight.
The Italian defense minister strongly condemned the overnight drone attacks.
Another giant cigarette hits the Global Sumud Flotilla pic.twitter.com/4HVc0InsHt
— Tehran Tadhg (@TadhgHickey) September 24, 2025
Activists on board several of the flotilla’s boats reported at least 10 explosions after witnessing drones launch several attacks early on Wednesday. The boats were situated off the coast of Greece.
“Multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed, and explosions heard from a number of boats. We are witnessing these psychological operations firsthand, right now, but we will not be intimidated,” Global Sumud Flotilla said.
US activist Greg Stoker said a quadcopter “dropped a little popper on deck,” adding that “other boats experienced that as well.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla is being targeted by as of yet non-lethal psychological attacks with include drones and the hijacking of our VHF radios.
They’re playing ABBA. Probably in line with their weird obsession with Greta.
We will not be deterred. pic.twitter.com/O49IJy2UXu
— Greg J Stoker (@gregjstoker) September 23, 2025
“Our VHF [very high frequency] radio was hijacked by adversarial comms, and they started playing ABBA,” he added. One boat was reportedly sprayed with chemicals as well.
🇮🇱🇵🇸‼️ Five Global Sumud Flotilla boats in the Mediterranean Sea were attacked by drones, one hit with explosives, one with a chemical device, and three with flashbangs, according to activists onboard the ships pic.twitter.com/1uFjc0CzHA
— HOT SPOT (@HotSpotHotSpot) September 23, 2025
Israel has not commented on the attacks targeting the Gaza-bound flotilla.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the flotilla was “pursuing a violent course of action” that “highlights the insincerity of the flotilla members and their mission to serve Hamas, rather than the people in Gaza.”
The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG) had warned on Sunday that unidentified drones were flying close to the vessels.
Workers across Italy launched a nationwide strike on 22 September to oppose Israel’s genocide in Gaza, halting public transport, rail services, schools, public offices, and ports in more than 60 cities. Italian grassroots trade union, Unione Sindacale di Base (USB), called the strike to force Rome to “immediately break off relations with the terrorist state of Israel, which is the concrete way in which Italy can, and must, react to the genocide that is taking place.”
Rail freight was suspended on Sunday night, with ports including Ravenna, Livorno, Trieste, and Genoa joining the actions. In Genoa, dockworkers blocked a vessel scheduled for Israel, while in Livorno, access to the port was restricted by protesters.
The flotilla bombarded early on 24 September is the third to attempt to break the siege of Gaza in the last four months.
The Global Sumud Flotilla also came under two attacks earlier in September.
The vessels are carrying hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, who are being starved and bombarded by the Israeli army. It has been described as the largest civilian flotilla in history.
In late July, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla’s Handala vessel was intercepted and seized by Israeli forces as it was trying to break the siege and deliver aid to the strip. Crewmembers were detained.
The month before, Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza Freedom Flotilla’s Madleen vessel in international waters as it was approaching Gaza to break the siege, seizing the boat and detaining the 12 activists on board.
In May this year, an Israeli drone bombed a Freedom Flotilla aid vessel that was en route to Gaza, blowing a hole through the ship, causing a fire, and putting it at risk of sinking.
