Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Wednesday that his country will join Italy in dispatching a naval vessel to accompany the flotilla to Gaza.
Sánchez made the announcement at a press conference in New York, explaining: "We are concerned, and therefore we will send a ship to ensure our citizens can be evacuated and return to Spain if necessary." He added that the vessel will depart Thursday from the port of Cartagena.
According to the Spanish daily El País, the ship being deployed is the Furor, a patrol vessel armed with a cannon, two machine guns, a helicopter, and a drone. It carries a crew of 50, along with eight medical staff, and can accommodate up to 80 people. The report stressed that the Furor will not directly escort the flotilla but will assist only if needed, operating strictly in international waters. Spain's Defense Ministry has already coordinated with its Italian counterparts, and other countries such as Ireland may also join.
El País described the deployment not as a military confrontation with Israeli drones allegedly attacking the flotilla, but rather as "a clear gesture reflecting the tension characterizing relations between the two countries."
In a post on X, Sánchez wrote: "The government of Spain demands compliance with international law and respect for the right of our citizens to navigate safely in the Mediterranean. Tomorrow, a Spanish Navy vessel will sail from Cartagena, fully equipped to assist the flotilla and carry out evacuations if needed."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for her part, emphasized that the Italian frigate dispatched to the area "is not expected to use military force." She told reporters that "the participation of Italian citizens in the flotilla to Gaza is not intended to help the residents of Gaza; it is meant to sabotage the Italian government."
She added that her government had offered to "transfer the aid from the flotilla to Cyprus and to the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem in order to avoid further risks." According to Meloni, Italy "is awaiting a response from the flotilla organizers regarding this compromise proposal."
Flotilla participants claimed that overnight they came under drone attack south of Crete. According to them, more than 10 drones dropped explosives and incendiary materials on the boats over three hours. "We saw multiple drones, unidentified objects fell on us, our radio was jammed, and we heard explosions from several vessels," the flotilla reported.
Polish MP Franek Sterczewski, aboard one of the ships, wrote on X that "there were 13 attacks on 10 boats, including the one I am on. Three of the ships were damaged." An Italian MP on the flotilla said a stun grenade struck her vessel's mast, tearing its sail. "We were attacked for three hours and nobody came to help," she said.
An Italian official told Reuters the navy's mission was primarily to assist Italian citizens aboard the vessels. "If necessary, our frigate has a well-equipped medical facility," the official said. Although no finger was officially pointed at Israel for the attack, the decision was communicated both to the Israeli military attaché in Italy and to the Italian attaché in Israel.
However, the Greek Coast Guard presented a different version of events. A spokesperson told AFP that "the operations center received information about the incident after 2:30 a.m." and dispatched a Frontex patrol boat to assess the situation. "The vessel was fine. There was no damage. People on board mentioned the incident, but it was not established that it actually occurred," the spokesperson said.
