Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday that Madrid will dispatch a navy vessel to support a Gaza-bound Global Sumud aid flotilla after organizers reported their boats were targeted by drones near Greece, as the U.N. called for a probe over the attack.
"We are concerned, and that is why we will be deploying a ship to ensure that, if necessary, our citizens can be rescued and brought back to Spain," he told a news conference in New York, adding that the ship would depart on Thursday.
Italy announced earlier on Wednesday that it had sent a navy frigate to assist the flotilla.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying more than 500 activists, including Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg, reported over a dozen explosions near its vessels off Greece late Tuesday. Organizers accused Israel of deploying explosive and incendiary devices as well as chemical substances against the civilian boats.
U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called the reports “serious violations” and demanded an “independent, impartial and thorough investigation,” stressing that those responsible must be held accountable.
