Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg and Flotilla Members Set on Fire after Being Hit by Drone Off North Africa Coast

The lead vessel in a flotilla headed by activist Greta Thunberg was reportedly targeted and hit by a drone while it was on its way to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, organizers said.

The 22-year-old Swedish climate activist is traveling with a convoy of 350 activists and aid workers who say they are on a peaceful mission to deliver supplies to Palestinians in Gaza. But reports surfaced that one of the vessels — the Family Boat and sailing under a Portuguese flag — was struck by a drone and burst into flames off the coast of North Africa. The boat was carrying members of the flotilla’s Steering Committee, including Greta.

Struck in Sea

The boat was inside the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said when the drone hit, the Israel Times reported. The strike set both the main deck and the below-deck storage on fire, leaving behind significant damage, according to the group.

Authorities confirmed that all six people on board — passengers and crew — made it out safely.

Video shared by the activists captured the chaos in the moments after the blast, showing two people rushing across the boat as a sudden flash of light signaled the impact. In another video posted to social media, voices could be heard shouting, “There’s a fire on the front deck!” as flames tore through the vessel.

In a video shared on Instagram, fellow activist Yasemin Acar captured the tense aftermath of the strike. She said: “The Family boat has been officially attacked – a drone came right above it, released a bomb and it exploded and the boat was on fire. Everyone on that boat is ok. The fire is out.”

Acar explained that the ship, sailing in Tunisian waters, had many of the same passengers who were detained alongside Greta during a previous mission to Gaza in June.

“They have bombed a boat with civilians on it in Tunisian territory. This is an attack against Gaza because they don’t want us there. So we need you to mobilise. Let’s not stay quiet,” she urged.

Nothing Personal

No country has taken responsibility for the attack, but Israel has in the past labeled the flotilla’s volunteers as “terrorists” and warned they would face arrest if they tried to break the naval blockade.

Authorities were once again preparing to intercept the latest flotilla, reportedly planning to hold activists in strict “terrorist-level” detention conditions, according to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom.

Before setting sail, Thunberg said her group was “part of a global uprising of people standing up” to “atrocities” in Gaza.

In a statement released after the drone strike, the Global Sumud Flotilla declared: “Acts of aggression aimed at intimidating and derailing our mission will not deter us. Our peaceful mission to break the siege on Gaza and stand in solidarity with its people continues with determination and resolve.”

The flotilla added that the incident is still under investigation and that no further details are available at this time.