Spain has notified its citizens aboard the "Sumud Flotilla" that the Spanish Navy's rescue vessel Furor will redirect back once the flotilla reaches the restricted waters off Gaza. "We strongly recommend that the flotilla, under the current circumstances, not enter the prohibited zone," the government said in a statement.
According to sources in the Spanish administration cited by the daily El Español, officials contacted the activists to inform them that the Furor is currently within operational range and could conduct rescues if necessary. However, the sources emphasized that the ship would not be permitted to breach the blockade, as doing so "would endanger the physical safety of the crew and the flotilla itself."
The government stressed that its advice effectively amounts to a request to end the protest voyage. "The mission of the flotilla is worthy of respect and legitimate, but the lives of its members must come first," the sources told the Spanish newspaper.
Earlier Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also urged the activists to stop and return home. Italy, like Spain, said it would not provide naval escort for the flotilla once it enters the Israeli-enforced exclusion zone.
