“We couldn’t even reach the Coastguard.”
She told NBC: “The international waters felt like a battlefield. There were bombs after bombs … and no one came to help.”
In the wake of the alleged attack, both Spain and Italy have sent warships in order to protect the flotilla on the final leg of its strip
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said a ship would join the flotilla on the final leg of its journey to Gaza: “The government of Spain demands that international law be complied with and that the right of its citizens to navigate the Mediterranean under safe conditions be respected.
“A maritime action vessel equipped with all necessary means will set sail from Cartagena in case it is necessary to assist the flotilla and carry out any rescue.”
Italy’s foreign ministry told Ansa, the country’s national news agency: “The Italian government is examining all options to avoid further offensive actions against the flotilla’s vessels, and reportedly redirected one of its vessels to meet the flotilla.
GSF said of the incident: “We are witnessing these psychological operations first-hand, right now, but we will not be intimidated.”
However, previous claims of drone attacks made by the flotilla’s organisers have been disputed, with Tunisian authorities claiming a pair of fires in recent weeks were the result of misfired flares.
As with prior flotilla missions, the vessels are expected to be intercepted by the Israeli navy and diverted to an Israeli port before they breach the naval blockade on Gaza.