A PALESTINIAN activist from Belfast on board a flotilla heading to Gaza says he will not be deterred from reaching the besieged strip of land after the fleet was targeted on Tuesday night.
Fra Hughes from Ardoyne is one of around 350 pro-Palestinian activists who are taking part in the flotilla, most notably the environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg. In June he was among a delegation who were forced to abandon their attempt to reach Gaza through Egypt.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of around 51 vessels with participants from 44 countries is the largest attempt yet to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.
On Tuesday night, flotilla boats were targeted in a major drone attack which has been blamed on Israel, with activists reporting explosions off the coast of Greece.
“Multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed and explosions heard from a number of boats,” the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) said in a statement.
“We are witnessing these psychological operations first-hand, right now, but we will not be intimidated.”
Fra is the volunteer director of the Palestine Aid charity, which has raised £115,000 in aid for Gaza over the last year.
He is currently on board a boat named The Alma. On Wednesday morning the flotilla was sailing just off the Greek island of Crete.
Speaking about the previous evening's attack, Fra explained: "Last night, as dusk came, people started to notice drones above the ship and towards the rest of the fleet.
"We all had our life jackets on and everyone was watching the skies.
"From about 11.30pm until about 3am, we were under sustained assault. I don’t know if they were surveillance drones or the bigger drones.
"There was then sound-and-flash bombs suspended upon ropes before they were detonated. They drop like no speed you could imagine and detonate above the boat before going up into the sky again.
"Nobody was injured. Everyone was sort of on edge and pretty anxious. I think the aim is to exhaust us, make us anxious and deter us from going forward.
"I have a friend on another boat who told me there was a chemical attack on his boat.
"The Alma boat I am on was previously attacked in Tunisia after an incendiary device was thrown on board. These are deliberate intimidatory tactics designed to intimidate and demoralise people – and we sort of expected this type of activity."
Despite the latest intimidation, Fra says there is a determination on board to reach Gaza and break the humanitarian blockade. He says he is prepared for the days to come.
Israel said on Monday that it would not allow the flotilla to reach Gaza. Israel blocked two earlier attempts by activists to reach Gaza by sea in June and July.
"I wasn’t frightened as such but I was a bit jumpy when the sound bombs went off. No one has been injured or worse... yet," he added.
"This is a humanitarian life-line for the people of Gaza. As far as I am concerned, EU and NATO should be protecting this convey.
"My focus from the day I got on this boat is to see this mission through. I have no control over what further intimidation or worse will happen. We expect this every night going forward.
"We are taking it one day at a time, one obstacle or challenge at a time until we either get to Gaza, go to jail or come home."
