Three Turkish drones were tracking at least 40 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla on Monday night, about 185 km from the point where other missions had been stopped by the IDF, and around 463 km from Gaza — a distance expected to take about four days to cover.
Turkish authorities did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment regarding the drones’ role. Still, the development highlights rising international attention on the flotilla, which set sail in early September carrying politicians, lawyers and activists — including Greta Thunberg — from 51 countries. Italy and Spain have already dispatched navy ships to shadow the flotilla for possible rescue or humanitarian support, though both countries stressed they will not participate militarily.
The Gaza naval blockade, imposed in 2007 after Hamas came to power, has been deemed illegal by UN committees and NGOs such as Amnesty International, which classify it as collective punishment.
The flotilla’s stated goal is to break the naval blockade of Gaza, in place since 2007. Multiple UN bodies and human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, argue the blockade is unlawful because it amounts to collective punishment of civilians, in violation of the Geneva Conventions.
International concern spiked after last week’s drone attack, which injured no crew members but caused damage to several ships. As a result, the flotilla paused for several days in Greek waters for repairs before resuming its course toward Gaza.
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