Anon09/24/25, 17:41No.1441696
He added the Italian multi-purpose frigate Fasan, previously sailing north of Crete, was "already on route" towards the flotilla "for possible rescue operations."
An Italian official said the navy had been mobilised primarily to help Italians on board.
Israel has repeatedly criticised the flotilla, accusing its activists of complicity with the Hamas militant group.
A foreign ministry spokesperson warned on Tuesday that Israel "would take the necessary measures" to stop it if it did not accept the alternative proposal to drop aid in an Israeli port, leaving it to Israeli authorities to take it to Gaza.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the overnight attack.
In Brussels, a European Commission spokeswoman said "any use of force against the flotilla is not acceptable", adding that "we totally understand" the activists' desire to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.
Israel launched the nearly two-year war in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks on the country by Hamas militants which killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, the conflict has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and has spread famine, destroyed most buildings, and displaced the population, in many cases multiple times.