Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Gerapetritis said Greece would “guarantee the safe navigation of the vessels currently in its waters” as they sail towards Gaza. He added that the government had already informed Israel that Greek citizens were among those participating in the mission.
The minister stressed: “There are a small number of boats currently in the waters off Crete and we will guarantee safe navigation. We have already informed the Israeli government about the participation of Greek citizens in this mission and we will ensure that everything goes smoothly.”
The remarks come after March to Gaza Greece reported that flotilla vessels were struck by drones at 2 a.m. on Wednesday, within the Greek SAR zone. The attacks, which involved flash-bangs and chemical capsules, caused material damage but no injuries.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, sailing with about 50 civilian vessels, aims to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Among the passengers are lawyers, activists and politicians, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
While pledging to secure the ships while in Greek waters, Gerapetritis simultaneously ruled out a naval escort, diverging from Italy and Spain’s decisions to deploy warships for protection. According to Reuters, he also played down the severity of the drone incident, though he confirmed “a full investigation to determine what happened.”
“For now, it seems that the situation is safe, but we are on full alert,” the minister said.
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