Gaza Flotilla Bafflingly Stalled for a Week: Here's What To Know
Multi-national flotilla bound for Gaza, including vessels supported by Greta Thunberg, remains stalled in Tunisian ports amid logistical challenges and security concerns.
Twitter
The multi-national flotilla polarized by Greta Thunberg bound for Gaza has spent a week stalled in Tunisian ports, facing a series of logistical challenges and alleged security incidents. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which aims to break Israel's naval blockade and deliver aid, has been unable to proceed with its journey, with reports of mechanical issues and unconfirmed drone attacks on some of its vessels.
The flotilla, consisting of at least 20 boats that departed from Spain, arrived in Tunisia on September 7. After initially docking at the Sidi Bou Said marina, a number of vessels relocated to the northern Tunisian port of Bizerte, reportedly to seek more favorable weather conditions. However, open-source vessel tracking sites show that several ships from the convoy remain tied up at the Bizerte marina.
On Septeber 11, a number of vessels in the flotilla left Sidi Bou Said and headed north toward the Tunisian marina at Bizerte. The reason would be to avoid high winds off the coast, according to reports. The flotilla spend September 12 and 13 in Bizerte, leaving the marina at some point in September 13. Since the information was not confirmed, Vessel Finder shows that six of the vessels that are known to be part of the 20 that reached Tunisia are still tied up at the Bizerte marina main pier.
The New Arab claimed that
“The organisers of a flotilla bound for Gaza from North Africa announced that the boat was ready to set sail to the besieged Palestinian enclave on Saturday from Tunisia."
The flotilla's progress has been marked by multiple delays since its initial departure. Its members claimed that two of their vessels were hit by drones while docked near Tunis, an allegation that Tunisian authorities have disputed.
In a new development, a separate contingent of 18 boats from the flotilla's Italian fleet has set sail from Augusta Port in Sicily, aiming to rendezvous with the vessels in Tunisia. The activists' journey to Gaza, now involving two separate squadrons, faces a challenging voyage across the Mediterranean, with organizers having to navigate both political and nautical obstacles to complete their mission.