Greta Thunberg’s 44-boat aid flotilla to Gaza has been forced to halt after yet another mishap, just two days after setting off from a Greek port where it had docked for repairs.
The fleet is edging closer towards the Gaza Strip, where it hopes to break through Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory in order to deliver humanitarian aid. After stopping on Friday in Greece due to difficult weather conditions and logistical challenges, the flotilla of more than 500 volunteers set sail again on Sunday, boat organisers said.
But a leak in the engine room of one of the vessels, named Johnny M, led the entire flotilla to be paused once again on Monday morning.
“The fleet temporarily paused after Johnny M sustained a leak in the engine room. The situation could not be resolved at sea and the vessel is unable to continue,” Global Sumud Flotilla wrote in a social media update at 9:13am local time (7:13am BST).
“All participants have been safely transferred to another vessel, some will be reassigned to other boats and others will be brought ashore.”
The group said the delay would “not cause significant delays to the mission, which is set to arrive in as soon as four days”.
Israeli authorities have characterised the mission as a publicity stunt, and warned that they will take the necessary action to prevent the volunteers from reaching Gaza with the aid.
Israel insists its blockade, which humanitarian organisations and the UN say is behind widespread hunger and famine in parts of the strip, is necessary to prevent aid falling into the hands of Hamas.
Activists on board the flotilla dispute accusations of a publicity stunt, with Ms Thunberg telling the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “First of all I don’t think anyone would risk their lives for a publicity stunt. Second of all, if you think it’s a publicity stunt, have you asked people in Gaza if they consider this a publicity stunt?
“I repeat, this mission should not have to exist, we do not want to be doing this, but we have to keep trying, right?”
On Sunday, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani repeated a proposal made last week for the flotilla to take the aid to Cyprus for eventual distribution in Gaza by the Roman Catholic Church. The flotilla rejected the suggestion.
“We have always said … that it is dangerous to approach Israeli waters. We don’t know what might happen. Forcing the blockade is dangerous,” Mr Tajani told reporters.
The flotilla rejected the proposal and has rejected demands from Israeli authorities that it hand over the aid for Israel to distribute through a US-backed aid agency.
It comes after the flotilla was struck by drones armed with stun grenades and irritants while in international waters off Crete on Wednesday, which caused damage but no injuries.
