COMMENT | Ominous symbols of intimidation in international waters - that’s what I would call the drones. These are not defensive tools, but coercive instruments used to surveil, threaten, and disrupt a purely humanitarian mission carried out by unarmed civilians.

What provokes this militarised response? The Madleen carries neither weapons nor political agendas but only food, medical supplies, and the moral will of ordinary people acting where states have failed. It is not the cargo that poses a threat, but the courage.

The flotilla is a mirror held up to the international community’s...