This article was first published on Common Dreams on September 9, 2025, under a Creative Commons license. It reports on a gathering of pro-Palestinian protesters at the Port of Sidi Bou Said in Tunis, Tunisia, following an alleged drone attack on a humanitarian aid mission boat headed for Gaza. The Global Sumud Flotilla, the organization behind the mission, claimed that one of its main vessels was hit while docked in the harbor. Notable passengers on the boat included climate activist Greta Thunberg, human rights activist Yasemin Acar, and Brazilian organizer Thiago Avila.
Video footage from nearby boats appeared to show an object dropping onto the vessel, causing an explosion. Despite the attack, the Global Sumud Flotilla confirmed that no one was injured and vowed to continue their mission. The flotilla is part of a larger effort to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and break the Israeli blockade, which has been in place since October 2023. This blockade has resulted in the death of over 64,000 Palestinians, with nearly 400 people, including 140 children, dying of starvation.
The Israeli government has previously stopped several aid boats from reaching Gaza and detained organizers. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli National Security Minister, has threatened to label humanitarian aid organizers as «terrorists». Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, called for verification of the drone attack reports, citing Israel’s history of attacking aid vessels bound for Gaza.
Tunisian officials, however, disputed the drone attack claim, attributing the fire on the vessel to a discarded cigarette butt or lighter. If confirmed as a drone attack, Albanese warned that it would constitute an assault on Tunisia and its sovereignty. She urged against tolerating and normalizing such illegal actions.