TUNIS – A vessel from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) fleet, docked at the Port of Sidi Bousaid, Tunisia, was attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/drone) on Tuesday (9 September 2025) at 00:29 local time. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The ship, named Family Boat, is one of the main vessels in the GSF mission to Gaza. It carried several key figures of the flotilla, including climate activist Greta Thunberg. Fortunately, Greta and her colleagues had disembarked several hours earlier before the incident.
In an official statement, GSF confirmed the drone strike:
“The vessel sails under the Portuguese flag, and all crew members and passengers are safe,” GSF announced.
The explosion caused a fire, damaging the main deck and storage area.
“A full investigation is currently underway. Further information will be released soon,” GSF added.
The GSF spokesperson strongly condemned the attack:
“This act of aggression, clearly intended to intimidate and derail the mission, will not stop us from moving forward. Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people will continue with determination and steadfastness.”
The UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, immediately called for urgent protection of the flotilla’s crew following the incident in Tunisia.
“The main vessel, Family Boat, appears to have been attacked by a drone while docked in Tunis. Two other vessels are on their way to Tunisia, and they urgently need protection,” Albanese wrote on X.
Muhammad Husein, Coordinator of the Indonesia Global Peace Convoy (IGPC), assured that no Indonesian delegates were harmed.
“Alhamdulillah, all Indonesian delegates participating in this major humanitarian mission are safe, as they were at their accommodations when the incident occurred,” said Husein.
Regarding the departure schedule, he noted that updates will depend on the GSF steering committee:
“We continue to monitor the situation and await further updates on the technical arrangements for the voyage. Let us pray for the best so that this humanitarian mission can proceed without obstacles,” he concluded.