Drones from Turkey circle Gaza aid flotilla as boats sail east

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ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey has joined Spain, Italy and Greece in monitoring an international flotilla carrying aid for Gaza that was sailing east across the Mediterranean Sea on Monday despite warnings from Israel to stop the mission, flight data show. 

Flight tracking websites showed that three long-endurance drones originating from Turkey’s Corlu airbase have been circling over the flotilla for three days, highlighting the growing international interest in the boats which have vowed to breach an Israeli naval blockade around the embattled Gaza Strip. 

Reuters was unable to confirm the reason for the drone flights. Turkey’s foreign and defence ministries and the intelligence agency did not respond to requests for comment.

FLOTILLA RESUMES JOURNEY AFTER REPAIRS  

The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of civilian boats carrying parliamentarians, lawyers and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, was still hundreds of miles off the Gaza coastline on Monday. But it was approaching an area where other flotillas have previously been intercepted, people on board said. Tracking sites showed about 40 boats in the flotilla.

Its advance has raised international tensions, especially after a drone attack last week damaged some boats. No one was injured, but the flotilla had to pause for several days in Greek waters for repairs before setting sail again for Gaza over the weekend. Organisers said on Monday that the mission was now expected to reach Gaza in about four days.

Italy and Spain have deployed navy ships to accompany the flotilla in case of rescue or humanitarian needs, but have said they will not engage militarily. Greece’s coastguard had also monitored progress while the flotilla was in its rescue area.

Italy warned on Sunday that the flotilla was nearing a high-risk zone and 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 idea.

CONCERNS OVER POSSIBLE ISRAELI RESPONSE  

“Israel has shown several times it has no red lines so it is clear that we are worried by what it could do. We will obviously do everything to have a peaceful, non-violent stance,” Italian European Parliament member, Benedetta Scuderi, told Italy’s Radio 24 on Monday from aboard the flotilla.

Israel did not comment on last week’s drone incident but has previously said it will use any means to prevent the boats from reaching Gaza, arguing that its naval blockade is legal as it battles Hamas militants in the coastal enclave.

Italy’s La Stampa newspaper reported that Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday had assured the Italian ambassador to Israel that Israel would “not use lethal force” against the flotilla members. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm that message.

Israel began its Gaza offensive after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken as hostages back to Gaza. The offensive has killed over 65,000 people in Gaza, Gaza health authorities say, and left many in dire need of food and aid.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini in Rome, Angeliki Koutantou in Athens, Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara, and Omer Berberoglu in Istanbul; Writing by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Edward McAllister, Aidan Lewis)