The United Nations is calling for an investigation into alleged drone attacks against a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that prompted Italy and Spain to send naval ships to help.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying lawyers and activists including Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg, blamed Israel for more than a dozen explosions heard around its vessels off Greece on Wednesday.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said anyone responsible for the "violations" should be held accountable, and called for an "independent, impartial and thorough investigation".
The vessels were allegedly attacked by 12 drones in international waters 56km off the Greek island of Gavdos, said Marikaiti Stasinou, a spokesperson for March to Gaza Greece, which is part of the flotilla.
The flotilla's organisers accused Israel of endangering more than 500 unarmed civilians, and Thunberg labelled it a "scare tactic" that was "not going to stop us".
"We are sailing peacefully in international waters. We are not carrying weapons. We are carrying food, baby formula, medical supplies, and water," she said in an interview on the flotilla's Instagram account.
Israel has repeatedly criticised the flotilla for what it claims is implied support for Hamas, but made no comment on whether it was responsible for the alleged attacks.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday he will join Italy in sending a military warship to protect an international flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Gaza after it was attacked by drones off Greece.
Sanchez told a press conference in New York where he has been attending the UN General Assembly that the citizens of 45 countries were on board to deliver food to the population of Gaza and express solidarity with their suffering.
"The government of Spain insists that international law be respected and that the right of our citizens should be respected to sail through the Mediterranean in safe conditions," he said.
"Tomorrow we will dispatch a naval vessel from Cartagena with all necessary resources in case it was necessary to assist the flotilla and carry out a rescue operation."
Israel, which halted two previous attempts by activists to sail to Gaza in June and July, has said it will not allow the flotilla to reach the Palestinian territory.
It launched the war in Gaza in response to attacks on October 7 2023 by Hamas militants, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, the conflict has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and has spread famine, destroyed most buildings and displaced the population, in many cases multiple times.
