Spain to deploy maritime support to Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced from New York City, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly, that the country will deploy a vessel to offer maritime support to the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza.

The ship will leave Cartagena "with all tools in case it needs to offer support to the Flotilla," Sánchez said in a press conference from the offices of the permanent mission of Spain to the UN.

Sánchez said that the flotilla has its right "to safely sail across the Mediterranean Sea," after passengers and flotilla activists have denounced several attacks and threats from Israel.

The PM said that they are sending the ship to "rescue" members of the flotilla "if there is any difficulty," which he hoped "would not be the case."

Flotilla boats will be "politically and diplomatically" protected, Sánchez said as the vessels are getting closer to Gaza. Italy has also deployed maritime support.

Attacks could escalate

From aboard the flotilla, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau called on the Spanish government "to send maritime rescue and diplomatic presence to stop Israel's attacks," which, she said in a post on Instagram "could escalate in the coming hours."

"After three violent drone attacks by Israel, we fear for our lives and for the safety of the humanitarian mission aimed at opening a humanitarian corridor in Gaza," Colau wrote on social media.

Earlier in the day, organizers reported explosions and unidentified drones near their vessels, and interference with their communications.

"We are witnessing these psychological operations firsthand, but we will not be intimidated," the organizers stated.

The first group of ships left Barcelona with activist Greta Thunberg, actor Liam Cunningham, and former mayor Ada Colau as some of the dozens of passengers.