Israel says Spanish and Italian military ships pose no threat and insists the flotilla will not enter Gaza.

BarcelonaThe Israeli government insisted on Thursday that it will prevent the Global Sumud Flotilla from entering the Gaza Strip, but said it does not believe there should be any problem with it. the ships sent by Spain and Italy to assist the activists. "We understand that these boats are intended for a rescue mission if necessary. We are quite confident that it will not be necessary, so we do not see any problem with the boats being nearby," said Eden Bar Tal, Director General of the Israeli Foreign Office, in a press conference.

These statements assume that none of the 51 vessels that make up the Flotilla will enter the Palestinian enclave, which Bar Tal stressed is an "active combat zone." The mission is currently sailing a few kilometers south of Crete, heading east.

"Everyone should know that these passengers are safe, and we will do everything possible to keep it that way," said the Israeli official. The press conference took place the day after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the dispatch of a military ship to support the Flotilla, after activists reported that have suffered several drone attacksThe Italian government has also sent a frigate for possible rescue operations, and another is ready to take over when necessary.

However, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has stressed that Italian military vessels will not leave international waters "in case the Flotilla decides to break the Israeli naval blockade." He warned that "once [the Flotilla ships] have left international waters and entered the waters of another state, their security cannot be guaranteed." On Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized that the frigates will not use military force and criticized the Flotilla's initiative, stating that it is "gratuitous, dangerous, and irresponsible."

Explosions around the ships

Italy and Spain have decided to send support ships after activists reported 14 explosions and unidentified drones flying overhead, as well as communications interference, early Wednesday morning. According to the crew, the explosions were heard around several ships in the Flotilla and "objects were seen being dropped from drones or planes on at least ten vessels."

The mission, which set sail with some 500 activists from Spain, Tunisia, Italy and Greece Since early September, the United States has denounced attacks on several occasions. This Thursday, they warned that they expect "new attacks" from Israel in the next 48 hours, using "heavy" weapons that could sink the boats or "even kill the participants." In a statement, they claimed to have "credible intelligence indicating that Israel is likely to intensify violent attacks against the Flotilla."

Italy has proposed that the activists deliver the humanitarian aid to Cyprus, to the staff of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, for later shipment to Gaza, but the mission participants have rejected this. In a statement, the Flotilla reaffirmed that the mission "remains faithful to its original objective" of breaking Israel's "illegal siege" and delivering humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza.