This comes as Italy and Spain announced they would dispatch vessels to support the flotilla, following a drone attack targeting it on Wednesday morning.
The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG), which organizes the Sumud Flotilla, reported that several countries warned their citizens participating in the mission of a potential imminent Israeli attack on the ships. The committee confirmed that a series of precautionary measures had been taken to reduce the risk of attacks and stated that the flotilla's ships would now sail through Greek territorial waters in an effort to minimize the chances of being targeted.
It added that the distance between the flotilla's location and the Gaza Strip is currently approximately 995 kilometers.
The committee announced Wednesday that the attacks affected 11 vessels, accusing Israel and its allies of being behind "explosions, unidentified drones and communications jamming".
It requested naval escorts from countries with citizens on board the flotilla, saying: "In light of the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, we call upon all Member States to place the attacks on the flotilla on the Assembly's agenda and to adopt a resolution addressing these grave violations. It added that the genocide and starvation must stop and that Law and humanity must prevail.
The United Nations called for an immediate investigation into the attacks on the flotilla's ships, considering them a clear violation of international law. In Brussels, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said that "any use of force against the flotilla is unacceptable," adding that "we fully understand" the activists' desire to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.
In the same context, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that his country would dispatch a fully equipped naval operations ship from Cartagena today to assist the Global Resilience Flotilla and conduct a rescue operation if needed. Spanish media confirmed that the government's decision followed a similar move by Italy, noting that the Ministry of Defense clarified that the ship would operate in international waters.
Commenting on the decision, Yolanda Diaz, Spain's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, said: "We have requested protection for the flotilla, and we are proud that the government is sending a ship for this purpose." She added that "pressure is working. The Gaza flotilla is a ray of hope that we must protect."
Spanish Minister of Youth and Childhood, Serra Rigo, said: "Lift the blockade, open humanitarian aid corridors, and stop the genocide," stressing that "the Global Resilience Flotilla is advancing and will not remain alone."
Earlier, a spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the drone attack on the flotilla.
In Rome, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto condemned the attack on the "Global Sumud Flotilla" and said that he ordered the Italian multi-purpose frigate Fasan, previously sailing north of Crete, to head towards the flotilla for possible rescue operations, in order to provide assistance to the Italian citizens aboard the flotilla.
Hours after the incident, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni aid she wanted to call everyone to responsibility, saying there was no need to risk one's safety by entering a theatre of war to deliver aid the Italian government could easily and quickly deliver instead.
Meloni's remarks came on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where she said: "All this is gratuitous, dangerous, irresponsible."
Despite the flotilla being attacked by drones, the will of the sailors on board remained unshaken. They affirmed that the flotilla would not succumb to intimidation and would continue sailing, carrying humanitarian aid to a people who have been suffering under siege for eighteen years and have been under bombardment, starvation, and genocide for two years.
The "Sumud Flotilla" set sail from Barcelona earlier this month with the aim of breaking the naval blockade on Gaza and delivering humanitarian and medical aid. It comprises 51 vessels, most of them off the Greek island of Crete. This is the first time such a large number of ships have set sail together for the Gaza Strip, home to approximately 2.4 million Palestinians and besieged by Israel for 18 years.
The ongoing Israeli occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has resulted in the martyrdom of more than 65,000 people and the injury of more than 167,000 others. Famine has spread, most buildings have been destroyed, and the population has been displaced, often several times.