Spain and Italy Dispatch Naval Vessels Amid Rising Tensions Over Gaza-Bound Aid Flotilla

By: Fern Sidman

In a development that has sparked a new wave of diplomatic friction across the Mediterranean, Spain announced on Wednesday that it would send a navy ship to shadow and potentially intervene in the journey of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla after reports surfaced that the convoy of civilian vessels had been targeted by drone attacks in international waters near Greece. The announcement, coming just hours after Italy redirected one of its own naval frigates to the area, underscores the increasingly international dimensions of a maritime confrontation long dominated by Israel’s insistence on enforcing its naval blockade of the Hamas-controlled territory.

According to a report that appeared on Wednesday on Israel National News (INN), Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that the vessel would depart on Thursday, with the express mission of protecting Spanish nationals participating in the flotilla and guaranteeing their safe return if circumstances turned volatile. “The government of Spain is deeply concerned by these incidents at sea,” Sánchez said, adding that Madrid has both a duty and a right to safeguard its citizens wherever they may be.

The Spanish move echoes an earlier decision by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who authorized the frigate Fasan to proceed toward the convoy after overnight disturbances left several boats damaged and their communications disrupted. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told reporters that the decision was necessary given the presence of Italian citizens on board, including activists and parliamentarians.

The flotilla, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, comprises some 50 civilian boats carrying activists, lawyers, European legislators, and humanitarian campaigners. Organizers reported to international media—and cited in detail by Israel National News—that their vessels were subjected to what they described as a “coordinated drone assault” while sailing in international waters near the Greek island of Gavdos.

Explosions were reported over several boats, with crews claiming that drones deployed stun grenades, itching powder, and electronic warfare devices that crippled their radios and satellite systems for hours. “The aim was clear—to frighten us, to intimidate us into abandoning our mission,” one activist told reporters. While no passengers were injured, organizers confirmed that equipment, sails, and rigging sustained measurable damage.

The attack, they alleged, bore the hallmarks of Israeli tactics designed to disrupt maritime attempts to challenge its blockade of Gaza. Though Jerusalem has not confirmed involvement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that any attempt to breach what it described as a lawful and security-driven naval blockade “will not be tolerated.”

In New York, Prime Minister Meloni outlined an alternative plan: that the flotilla divert to Cyprus, where its cargo of humanitarian supplies could be inspected and then transferred for supervised delivery to Gaza under the auspices of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. “This would ensure the aid reaches the people of Gaza without exposing civilians to unnecessary maritime dangers,” Meloni argued, in comments cited in the Israel National News report.

Both Israel and Cyprus, she noted, had expressed support for the Italian initiative. The move, Rome insisted, would preserve the humanitarian aims of the mission while averting a potentially dangerous standoff at sea.

Nevertheless, flotilla organizers flatly rejected the proposal, accusing European leaders of undermining their campaign. They vowed to continue their original course toward Gaza, framing their mission not merely as aid delivery but as an international act of defiance against Israel’s blockade.

For its part, Israel remains unwavering in its insistence that all humanitarian goods bound for Gaza must first pass through Israeli ports for security inspection. As repeatedly emphasized in official statements and amplified in the Israel National News report, Israeli authorities stress that the naval blockade is both legal under international law and essential to preventing weapons from reaching Hamas, which continues to wage war against the Jewish state.

Officials in Jerusalem issued a reminder that Israel facilitates thousands of tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza each week—under carefully monitored procedures—to ensure civilian needs are met without compromising Israeli security. “Any vessel that attempts to bypass these procedures is in direct violation of the blockade and risks serious consequences,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry declined to comment directly on the drone allegations but underscored that the flotilla’s stated intention to breach the blockade was itself provocative and dangerous.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is only the latest in a series of attempts by international activists to challenge Israel’s blockade through highly publicized maritime campaigns. As the Israel National News report recalled, previous efforts—most notably the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident—ended in violence and sparked global diplomatic fallout.

For activists, these missions are framed as symbolic acts of solidarity with Gaza’s population, designed to draw attention to what they describe as “collective punishment.” For Israel, they represent calculated provocations that risk smuggling weapons to Hamas and other militant factions entrenched in the enclave.

The timing of the current flotilla is especially significant. It comes amid heightened global debate over recent moves by Western governments, including the United Kingdom and Australia, to formally recognize a Palestinian state. Analysts quoted in the Israel National News report noted that flotilla organizers are likely seeking to capitalize on this shifting diplomatic mood, pressing their case at sea in parallel with political developments on land.

Spain and Italy’s decisions to dispatch naval escorts illustrate the delicate balancing act European governments face. On one hand, both Madrid and Rome must respond to domestic political constituencies sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and concerned about humanitarian conditions in Gaza. On the other, they must also weigh their NATO obligations, their ties to Israel, and their responsibility to safeguard citizens engaged in high-risk activism.

As the Israel National News report observed, the Italian government has taken a markedly pragmatic approach. By proposing the Cyprus transfer, Rome sought to uphold humanitarian principles while simultaneously acknowledging Israel’s unbending security concerns. Meloni, in particular, labeled the flotilla “dangerous and irresponsible,” signaling frustration with activists who insist on forcing a confrontation.

Spain, by contrast, has taken a more cautious and ambiguous stance. While Sánchez insists his priority is simply the protection of Spanish nationals, his government has been one of Europe’s most vocal advocates for Palestinian recognition. Analysts suggest that Madrid’s actions may be intended to signal both humanitarian concern and political solidarity, even as the risk of escalation looms.

The mystery of the drones continues to hang over the episode. Organizers claim they endured hours of harassment, with deafening music blaring across radio frequencies and drones swooping low enough to cause panic. Yet neither Israel nor any NATO power has acknowledged responsibility.

Security experts cited in the Israel National News report caution that the lack of attribution may be deliberate—allowing Israel to maintain plausible deniability while sending a clear message that attempts to break the blockade will face disruption. Others argue that attributing the attack is premature without independent verification.

For activists, however, the psychological impact was unmistakable. “This was meant to frighten us into submission,” one participant told reporters. Instead, they claim it has only deepened their determination to sail for Gaza.

As Spain’s navy prepares to join Italy’s frigate in shadowing the flotilla, the Mediterranean is once again becoming a theater of geopolitical confrontation. On one side stands Israel, backed by its insistence that the blockade is legal, necessary, and non-negotiable. On the other side are activists, buoyed by European sympathy and emboldened by recent diplomatic gains for the Palestinian cause.

Caught in the middle are European governments such as Spain and Italy, scrambling to prevent their citizens from being caught in the crossfire of a dispute that is as much about symbolism as it is about aid.

As the Israel National News report indicated, the saga of the Global Sumud Flotilla illustrates the enduring volatility of the Gaza conflict and the way it radiates outward, drawing in powers far beyond the region. Whether the flotilla reaches Gaza or is diverted to Cyprus, the episode is certain to add another charged chapter to the long and contentious history of maritime activism against Israel’s blockade.