Spain, Italy on brink of naval clash with Israel?

Pars Today - As the global Sumud fleet heads toward the Gaza Strip, Spain and Italy have deployed warships to the Mediterranean in support of the humanitarian mission. The key question remains: could this military involvement lead to a direct confrontation with Israel?

According to Pars Today, citing Fars News Agency, the Italian military decided Thursday to deploy a second warship to accompany the global Sumud fleet en route to Gaza. This decision came just hours after the dispatch of the frigate Fasan, whose mission is to escort vessels targeted by drone attacks, which participants assert were carried out by Israel.

With this move, the number of escorting warships has reached three, including two Italian vessels and one Spanish ship, which Madrid also deployed to support the global Sumud fleet. The decision followed a drone attack on the fleet near the coast of Greece.

The Sumud fleet consists of around 50 ships with thousands of participants from more than 44 countries. Some previous attempts to break the blockade of Gaza before 2010 were successful, but since then vessels have been intercepted or attacked by Israeli forces, most recently in June and July, with another ship targeted by Israeli drones in May 2025.

The Arabic-language website Arab21, in an article by Ahmad Mustafa, analyzed various aspects of this military support for the largest global effort against the Gaza blockade. The piece noted that the key point in Italy and Spain’s actions is that the deployed ships are military in nature, tasked with protecting and supporting the Sumud fleet. However, neither country has directly held Israel responsible for the drone attacks targeting the fleet.

Diplomatic prevention

Meanwhile, Italy is seeking to avoid a direct confrontation with Israel. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed that the Sumud fleet deliver humanitarian aid to Cyprus or to Patrick Latin in al-Quds, so that they can take responsibility for transporting the aid to Gaza.

Position of Sumud fleet

The Sumud fleet has refused to deliver aid through a third party. Previously, it rejected Israel’s proposal to redirect the ships to an “Israeli” port and transfer the aid to Gaza via the occupiers. The fleet has also refused to enter areas where military operations are ongoing, citing the potential for dangerous consequences.

Current status of Sumud fleet

The global Sumud fleet is still approximately four days away from reaching the Gaza Strip, provided it does not encounter logistical issues or aerial threats. On Tuesday, fleet participants reported coming under a drone attack, hearing multiple explosions as several drones flew nearby over the waters off the coast of Greece.

According to the fleet’s statement: “So far, 12 explosions have targeted nine different ships of the global Sumud fleet, all carried out by drones. We are now witnessing this psychological operation firsthand, but we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated.”

How long will military escort continue?

So far, official statements from Italy and Spain have not suggested a likelihood of a direct confrontation with Israel at sea. The main focus of both countries remains on “potential rescue operations.” Italy’s Defense Minister has urged activists to accept Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s proposal, warning that if the fleet enters the territorial waters of other countries, the government cannot guarantee the safety of Italian citizens.

Although the presence of Italian and Spanish military vessels in international waters—and even some territorial waters—can be justified under the principle of “innocent passage,” it appears unlikely that their warships will escort the Sumud fleet all the way to a potential confrontation with the Israeli navy. This is especially true given that Israel has declared the maritime area off Gaza an “active conflict zone.”

Summary

According to Ahmad Mustafa, the military escort provided by Italian and Spanish ships at this stage can offer protection against drone attacks in international waters for the Sumud fleet. However, it is unlikely that these countries will enter the Israeli military’s operational zone. This is particularly relevant if the Israeli navy decides to forcibly block the fleet’s route and divert the ships to an Israeli port, as happened last June with the vessel Madeline, whose activists were eventually expelled from the Occupied Territories.