The Samoud (Steadfastness) Flotilla announced that its main ship, Family, was hit by an Israeli drone while docked outside Tunisia’s Sidi Bou Said port.
Wael Nawar, a member of the flotilla, said the strike occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when a drone approached and dropped a bomb on the ship.
The organizing committee confirmed a fire broke out inside the vessel, prompting warnings to other flotilla ships not to sail toward the port.
The organizers of the flotilla, Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), said that the Portuguese-flagged vessel had been struck by a drone while anchored outside the port.
They reported that all six passengers and crew on board were safe.
GSF, posting on its official X account (@gbsumudflotilla), described itself as “The World’s Biggest Maritime Mission to Break the Illegal Israeli Siege on Gaza.”
It published the first video showing the damage to the Family vessel, claiming the drone attack occurred at 11:45 p.m.
The statement added: “After one of our main boats ‘Family’ was struck by a drone, Tunisians have gathered at the port en masse to denounce the attack on our vessel. The moment our main boat, which was carrying our steering committee members, known as the ‘Family Boat,’ was struck by a drone.”
Thiago Avila, a flotilla coordinator, told Al Jazeera that several team members were on board at the time of the incident but escaped unharmed.
Activists said the targeted ship carried the Portuguese flag and stressed that the aggression “will not deter us from our peaceful humanitarian mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand with its people.”
Francesca Albanese, an international coordinator with the flotilla, warned that two additional vessels en route to Tunisia now face the risk of Israeli attack.
She called the strike on the flotilla’s flagship “dangerous” and demanded urgent protection, adding that the group is awaiting the results of investigations.
Local Tunisian media reported that police forces contained the fire caused by the drone strike.
The International Gaza Freedom Committee condemned the assault, declaring: “We were still in Tunisian waters when the attack began; do not remain silent—raise your voice.”
Egyptian activists with the Samoud Flotilla also condemned the Israeli strike, calling it a cowardly act of war against another Arab country.
They vowed to continue their participation, saying: “This Zionist war crime will not break our determination to complete the mission.”
However, the BBC claimed that Tunisian authorities have denied the reports of a drone attack against one of the Gaza-bound vessels, which was carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists such as Greta Thunberg.
The Samoud Freedom Caravan, comprising thousands of pro-Palestinian activists, is sailing from Mediterranean ports including Barcelona and Tunis toward occupied Palestinian waters.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid such as food, medicine, and essential supplies, includes dozens of ships and hundreds of participants from 44 countries.
Organizers describe it as the largest maritime effort in history to challenge Israel’s blockade, expected to reach Gaza in mid-September.