Italian MoD deploys navy frigate to assist targeted Sumud flotilla en route to Gaza

Italy's Defence Minister has sharply condemned the overnight attack on the boats of the Sumud flotilla heading to Gaza, and ordered the deployment of a Navy frigate to the area to provide assistance to Italians on board.

The decision to deploy the frigate by the name Fasan was made by Minister Guido Crosetto following consultations with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Caliber.Az reports citing the Italian ANSA agency.

Italian media note that the goal is the protection of Italian citizens and readiness for rescue operations, though the minister clarified that it was not possible to pin the blame on the attack to Israel at the moment.

Speaking on the issue of the attack on some of the flotilla's boats, Crosetto said that "one can only express the harshest condemnation" of the attack that was conducted via drones by "at-the-moment-unidentified perpetrators"

"In a democracy, demonstrations and forms of protest must be protected when they take place in compliance with the norms of international law and without recourse to violence," the minister urged.

On September 13, a total of 18 boats carrying 500 tons of humanitarian aid set sail from Sicily towards Gaza under the "Global Sumud Flotilla" banner. They were scheduled to join several other boats on their journey towards the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, carrying a total of 600 passengers, including four Members of the European Parliament.

Several of the boats have reported explosions on September 23, as well as unidentified objects being dropped on and near boats that are currently located off the Greek island of Crete.

By Nazrin Sadigova