STORY: Italy has sent a second navy ship in support of the international aid flotilla that has come under drone attack while trying to deliver aid to Gaza, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday (September 25).

The Global Sumud Flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try and break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Many lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, are on board.

"We have sent one ship and another is on its way, ready for any eventuality," Crosetto said in a speech to the lower house of parliament.

Italy sent a first frigate on Wednesday, hours after the GSF said it was targeted by drones that dropped stun grenades and itching powder, in international waters 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the Greek island of Gavdos.

The GSF blamed Israel for the attack.

The Israeli foreign ministry did not respond directly to the accusation, but repeated an invitation for the flotilla to drop humanitarian aid in an Israeli port, leaving it to Israeli authorities to take it to Gaza, or else face consequences.

Spain has also decided to send a military warship to protect the flotilla.

Crosetto warned the activists against insisting on trying to break the Israeli blockade, and urged them to accept an Italian proposal to hand over their aid supplies and allow them to be distributed in Gaza by the local Catholic Church.

"We cannot guarantee the safety of our fellow citizens if they enter the territorial waters of other countries," Crosetto said.

The GSF said early on Thursday that its vessels were sailing at slow speed in Greek territorial waters, had been subjected to "moderate drone activity" during the night, and were heading towards international waters "later today."

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: DEFENCE MINISTER GUIDO CROSETTO SAYING ITALY HAS SENT A SECOND NAVY SHIP IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL AID FLOTILLA THAT HAS COME UNDER DRONE ATTACK WHILE TRYING TO DELIVER AID TO GAZA / FILE OF ITALIAN NAVAL FRIGATE, ALPINO, SAILING / MOMENT OF CLAIMED ATTACK AT SUMUD FLOTILLA FROM BOAT CCTV / FILE OF FLOTILLA LEAVING BARCELONA

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: ROME, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 25, 2025) (PARLIAMENT TV - Access all)

1. PARLIAMENT SESSION OPENING

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) DEFENCE MINISTER GUIDO CROSETTO SAYING :

''We asked ourselves what we could do, what the government could do, what the defence could do to stop, to prevent reaching a point of no return. What we could do was send a ship at this moment, to which another will be added, 'Alpino' ship, that has already left and has other capabilities, if they were needed, but it is not our intention to move military ships to wage war on a friendly country."

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA (FILE - JULY 18, 2024) (REUTERS - Access all)

3. VARIOUS OF ITALIAN NAVAL FRIGATE, 'ALPINO', SAILING

4. FLAG ON NAVAL FRIGATE

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (FILE - JULY 2021) (REUTERS - Access all)

5. FILE VIDEO OF THE ITALIAN NAVY VESSEL, 'FASAN'

ROME, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 25, 2025) (PARLIAMENT TV - Access all)

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) DEFENCE MINISTER GUIDO CROSETTO SAYING:

''What I would like is for the aid that the flotilla is bringing to Gaza to reach Gaza, and for none of the people or vessels involved to suffer any harm. We are working on this, which is why an Italian ship has gone there as a precaution, which has approached the flotilla. We are negotiating and trying to find a way out that will allow us to achieve the best possible result with the arrival of aid in Gaza and, on the other hand, will not put the Italians in any danger.''

AT SEA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA - No Resale / No Archive / Must on-screen courtesy Global Sumud Flotilla)

7. BLAST AND FLASH IN SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE FROM GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA BOAT / MEN TAKING COVER AND LYING DOWN

8. SLOWED VERSION OF SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE

ROME, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 25, 2025) (PARLIAMENT TV - Access all)

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) DEFENCE MINISTER GUIDO CROSETTO SAYING :

''But I assure you that the situation is worrying. I want to convey, to use this moment to convey to everyone on board those ships, including through those of you who are talking to them, that the situation is worrying. And that once we leave international waters and enter the waters of another State, neither we, nor any other country in the world is able to guarantee safety. I would like to make this clear. It cannot be taken as an expression of freedom when that freedom affects another country and can be considered by that country as an act of aggression.''

BARCELONA, SPAIN (RECENT - AUGUST 31, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All) (MUTE)

10. VARIOUS OF BOAT CARRYING GRETA THUNBERG AND OTHER ACTIVISTS OF THE GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA LEAVING WITH BARCELONA SKYLINE IN THE BACKGROUND