CBS: Netanyahu Behind Sumud Boat Strikes

By Staff, Agencies

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered drone strikes on humanitarian aid boats bound for Gaza off the Tunisian coast in September, CBS News revealed on Saturday. 

Two US intelligence officials told the network that "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] launched drones from a submarine and dropped incendiary devices on two ships, which were anchored off the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said on September 8 and 9. 

On September 9, a key ship of the Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to break "Israel’s" Gaza blockade, was attacked while anchored in Tunisia.

Wael Nawar, a flotilla member, said an "Israeli" drone attacked the fleet’s largest ship, sailing under the Portuguese flag, but all crew and passengers were unharmed.

On September 9, the GSF confirmed that its flagship vessel, the Alma, came under attack in Tunisian waters again, sustaining fire damage to its top deck.

The ship, sailing under the British flag, caught fire after being struck by a drone, though crew members extinguished the flames. No injuries were reported.

In a statement, organizers condemned the assault, describing it as part of an effort to sabotage their humanitarian mission.

“These repeat attacks come during intensified ‘Israeli’ aggression on Palestinians in Gaza, and are an orchestrated attempt to distract and derail our mission,” organizers said, adding that the campaign to break "Israel’s" blockade “continues undeterred… with determination and resolve.”

On Thursday, the Global Sumud Flotilla reported that the IOF intercepted its ships in international waters and abducted hundreds of volunteers.

The flotilla reported that over 443 participants from 47 countries are now illegally detained by "Israeli" authorities after the fleet’s seizure, urging urgent international action for their safety and release.

Mass demonstrations erupted across Arab and Western countries in response to the "Israeli" occupation’s attack on the mission. 

After the activists were detained, Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrived at "Ashdod" port post-Yom Kippur, where Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and southern commander Haim Bublil supervised their transfer to "Israeli" prison authorities.

At Ketziot prison, Ben Gvir ordered officials to treat flotilla participants as “terrorists,” saying "As promised, those who joined the flotilla are now in a security prison, receiving the same treatment as terrorists in every sense of the word.”

He later criticized Netanyahu’s decision to deport the activists, insisting they should remain imprisoned in "Israel" for months, warning that repeated deportations encourage their return.