It is the convoy's "Family Boat" that has been hit. Activist Yasemin Acar writes on Instagram that climate activist Greta Thunberg sailed with the vessel.
In addition to Thunberg, the newly minted political wild card Lorena Delgado Varas is also sailing with the convoy, which consists of a number of vessels.
GSF writes in a statement that everyone on board is unharmed, but that the vessel was damaged in a fire that broke out in connection with the incident.
Shares clip
The Portugal-registered vessel was located in the Tunisian port city of Sidi Bou Said when it is said to have been hit. On social media, GSF has published several video clips that are said to show the sequence of events.
Help! Help! someone screams in one of the clips.
In one of the clips, something appears to hit the vessel from the air, after which it starts burning.
”Aggressive actions aimed at scaring and preventing our mission will not deter us”, the organization writes in its statement.
”Completely unfounded”
The fire is now said to be extinguished. Tunisia's national guard says that the incident is being investigated, but that the claims that it was a drone are ”completely unfounded”.
According to preliminary results, the fire broke out among the life jackets on board, says Houcem Eddine Jebabli, spokesperson for the national guard, according to AFP.
He adds that it may have been a cigarette that caused the fire.
According to GSF, the organization's intention is to ”break the illegal siege” of the Gaza Strip by opening a humanitarian corridor by sea.
It should not be up to us, said Greta Thunberg to the media before departure.
TT has contacted GSF.
