Tunisia probes drone strike on Gaza aid flotilla ship at port

Tunisia has said the “assault” on a vessel docked at Sidi Bou Said port was “orchestrated”, after organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla reported one of their boats was hit by a drone on Wednesday - the second such incident in as many days.

The flotilla, preparing to set sail for Gaza in a bid to break Israel’s naval blockade, has already faced two nights of drone strikes targeting ships in the convoy. Organisers described the attacks as deliberate attempts by Israel to sabotage their mission.

The Israeli military has not responded to requests for comment.

Authorities confirmed there were no casualties, and civil defence teams managed to extinguish a fire that broke out on the boat on Wednesday night. Tunisia’s Interior Ministry said investigations were under way, but stopped short of blaming any country.

Francesca Albanese, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, told Reuters the attack “is an attack against Tunisian sovereignty.”