The pro-Palestine activist group Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has claimed that some of its vessels have been targeted by attacks using flash-bang grenades and other non-lethal munitions in international waters while en route to Gaza with a "symbolic" yet meagre amount of aid.
GSF Spokeswoman Francesca Albanese said in a social media post that six of the group's vessels were repeatedly attacked with "sound bombs" and "explosive flares" in addition to being, "sprayed with suspected chemicals," and subjected to radio jamming in the early morning (local time) of Wednesday, September 24.
The GSF said there were no injuries resulting from the supposed attacks, which another member of the activist group described as "psychological warfare" and "dangerous" in nature.
"We are a humanitarian, non-violent mission bringing food and aid to open a humanitarian corridor," the GSF member claimed via a social media post.
The GSF had also said that its vessels were targeted by two drone attacks following a port visit to Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia earlier this month.
However, the first reported attack had been criticised by Tunisian authorities as having "no basis in truth," while the second could not be independently verified despite the group's release of video footage of the alleged incident.
The GSF claims that it is a "coordinated, non-violent fleet of mostly small vessels" that hopes to challenge Israel's "illegal siege on Gaza."
The flotilla's participants also include the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which already had two of its vessels intercepted and detained by Israeli forces for violating the latter's maritime blockade of Gaza earlier this year.
The blockade around Gaza has been put in place by the Israeli Government as a means of preventing the smuggling of weapons for use by Palestinian terror group Hamas.
