(FILES) Boats, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla gather at the Tunisian port of Bizerte, ahead of the scheduled departure to the Gaza Strip to break Israel's blockade on the Palestinian territory on September 13, 2025. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on September 24, 2025, called for an end to the "attacks" on the flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, demanding an "independent" investigation. "An independent, impartial and thorough investigation must be conducted" and "these attacks must stop," said a spokesperson for the Office, Thameen Al-Kheetan, while pro-Palestinian activists on the flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip claimed to have been targeted by "explosions" and "multiple drones" off the coast of Greece. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP)
RABAT, MOROCCO/ISTANBUL (Bernama-Anadolu): A Gaza-bound aid flotilla said Thursday (Sept 25) it is now less than 1,000km from the Palestinian enclave as it continues its bid to challenge Israel's long-running blockade, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
"We are only 995km away from Gaza. Our hearts are already there before our ships. We sail with determination to break the siege," the flotilla's Maghreb branch declared in a post on the US social media company Facebook.
The update came a day after organisers reported 12 blasts across nine vessels following drone harassment in international waters. The flotilla did not specify who was behind the attacks, while Israel, which has repeatedly warned it would block the mission, has so far stayed silent.
Abdelhaq Benqadi, a representative of the Arab Lawyers Union aboard the mission, said the legal team is preparing to take the matter to the International Criminal Court, accusing Israel of "war crimes at sea".
The flotilla, made up of nearly 50 vessels carrying humanitarian supplies including medical aid, is transporting more than 500 activists from around the world.
Organisers say it is the largest such attempt in nearly two decades, with Gaza's 2.4 million residents enduring an Israeli blockade for 18 years.
UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,400 people have been killed since October 2023. - Bernama-Anadolu
