A Portuguese-flagged boat carrying aid to Palestinians in Gaza caught fire on Tuesday in what activists claim was a drone attack. The incident happened off the coast of North Africa, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which is leading the mission.
The flotilla was transporting more than 350 human rights activists and aid workers, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, as part of an international effort to deliver humanitarian relief to Gaza. The FFC said the main ship, The Family Boat, carrying members of its steering committee, was struck, but all six crew members survived without injury.
Video shared by the group showed flames engulfing part of the vessel shortly after the blast. Activist Miguel Duarte, who was on board, said he saw a drone hovering just meters above the ship before dropping an explosive. “There was a huge explosion, lots of fire, big flames… We could have been killed,” he told Middle East Eye.
The Tunisian National Guard disputed the account, saying its systems detected no drones in the area. Officials suggested the fire may have started accidentally, possibly from a cigarette butt or lighter igniting a life jacket.
Israel has not commented on the incident, but activists noted that Gaza-bound flotillas have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces in the past, including the deadly 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara. An unnamed FFC member said the blast appeared to come from an incendiary device that sparked a fire lasting nearly six minutes. “Two people were sleeping close to where the fire started. Thankfully, the crew managed to put it out, and no one was harmed,” she said in a video statement.
The flotilla is part of wider global efforts to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and provide food, fuel, and medical supplies to Palestinians. Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has deepened during the ongoing war, which has left tens of thousands dead and forced most of the 2.3 million residents into extreme hunger.
