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Italy and Spain have decided this week to dispatch naval vessels to assist the Global Sumud Flotilla on its way to break Israel’s siege of Gaza.

The unprecedented move to support a flotilla headed towards the Palestinian enclave comes after repeated attacks against the Sumud Flotilla, including a drone attack early on Wednesday.

Israel is widely believed to be behind the attacks. However, in keeping with many of its suspected overseas operations, the government has not commented. Israeli rhetoric against the flotilla, however, has escalated.

Early in the voyage, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the activists on board “terrorists” and said they should be treated as such. More recently, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has repeatedly urged the flotilla to unload its cargo in Israeli territory, described the effort to deliver aid as a “jihadist initiative”.

So how much danger is the flotilla in, and will the Spanish and Italian naval ships make any difference?

Here’s what we know:

How much risk is there to the flotilla?

The Global Sumud Flotilla has said it expects an “imminent” Israeli attack now that it is nearing Gaza. Israel itself has said it will “not allow any vessel to enter the active combat zone” and breach its naval blockade of Gaza.

Three previous attempts to similarly deliver aid to Gaza this year have been intercepted by Israeli forces.

In May, the Conscience was attacked and forced to return to port in Malta after being targeted by drones. An attempt in June was also blocked by Israel when the Madleen was intercepted in international waters and its crew detained. A third attempt in July by the Handala was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters and its crew detained.

What have the Italian and Spanish governments said?

Speaking outside the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been among Israel’s most prominent critics, told reporters: “The government of Spain demands that international law be complied with and that the right of its citizens to navigate the Mediterranean under safe conditions be respected.”

El Gobierno de España exige que se cumpla la ley internacional y que se respete el derecho de sus ciudadanos a navegar por el Mediterráneo en condiciones de seguridad.

Mañana mismo zarpará desde Cartagena un buque de acción marítima equipado con todos los medios por si fuese… pic.twitter.com/FRR6FNMRBV

The position of Italy and its right-wing government, which has often backed Israel, is less clear. Despite the presence of a number of Italian citizens, including parliamentarians, on board the flotilla, Italy’s military support for the mission appears conditional.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the flotilla’s mission as “gratuitous, dangerous and irresponsible” and, speaking outside the UN on Wednesday, urged the flotilla to hand over its aid in Cyprus to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which would then distribute it. That was rejected by the Global Sumud Flotilla.

But Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Wednesday said sending the navy ship was “an act of humanity”.

“It is not an act of war. It is not a provocation. It is an act of humanity, which is a duty of a state towards its citizens,” he said in parliament.

How popular is support for Palestine in Spain and Italy?

Both Spain and Italy have large pro-Palestinian movements that have been galvanised by Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Mass protests and port blockades were held in Italy over the weekend, highlighting mass support for the Palestinian cause in the country, even as the Italian government refuses to follow many of its European neighbours in recognising Palestinian statehood.

In Spain, support on the streets for Palestine has translated into official government support – with Sanchez becoming one of the most vocal world leaders in criticising Israel. The prime minister has approved a full arms embargo on Israel and has called for Israel to not be allowed to compete in international sport.

A cycling team named after Israel led to large protests in this month’s Vuelta race across Spain – demonstrations that were backed by Sanchez.

So what are the ships and why are they there?

Italy originally sent the naval frigate Virginio Fasan, which neared the flotilla before being replaced by the frigate Alpino.

The Italian navy has said the vessel sent by Italy would not have any escort duties.

The Spanish patrol vessel Furor sailed from the Spanish port city of Cartagena on Thursday, headed for the eastern Mediterranean.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Spain had accepted a request from Belgium to assist Belgian citizens on board the flotilla and was holding conversations with Ireland on the same topic. He added that the Global Sumud Flotilla was a humanitarian mission and did not pose a threat to anyone.

Is international law on the flotilla’s side?

Under international law, civilians engaged in delivering humanitarian aid, such as the volunteers on board the flotilla, are protected under the terms of the Geneva Convention.

According to the flotilla’s organisers, any attack on the flotilla would constitute a breach of both international law and the provisional order instructions of the International Court of Justice in January 2024 instructing Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The flotilla receives additional protection under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This guarantees freedom of navigation and “innocent passage” in territorial waters as long as the flotilla does not threaten peace or security.

United States President Donald Trump has hosted his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the White House for the first time since 2019.

In a brief Oval Office news conference on Thursday, the two leaders gave reporters a preview of the issues they would discuss behind closed doors, including the sale of military equipment, trade and global conflicts.

“ He’s a highly respected man. He’s respected very much in his country and all throughout Europe and throughout the world where they know him,” Trump said, gesturing to Erdogan. “It’s an honour to have him.”

While Trump has maintained friendly relations with Erdogan during his second term, the ties between their two countries have faced strain in recent years, particularly as a result of Turkiye’s continued trade with Russia.

Still, both leaders sought to cast their relationship in a positive light at Thursday’s meeting, which was followed by a joint lunch.

“We’ve had a very good relationship for a long time,” Trump said, adding, “ This is a tough man. This is a guy who’s highly opinionated. Usually, I don’t like opinionated people, but I always like this one.”

Erdogan, for his part, said that he was “very pleased” to be returning to the White House and hoped to carry Turkiye-US relations to “a much different level”.

Here are some of the key issues the pair addressed in their wide-ranging news conference:

‘Close to a deal’ on Gaza

Thursday’s Oval Office meeting comes days after both Erdogan and Trump spoke at the United Nations General Assembly, where several world leaders pushed for recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Trump himself met Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the assembly.

Though few details have emerged about the sideline meeting, Trump officials reportedly presented their proposal to bring Israel’s war on Gaza to an end.

That war has killed at least 65,502 Palestinians and wounded 167,376 more since its start in October 2023. An independent UN commission earlier this month accused Israel of committing the crime of genocide in the territory.

On Thursday, when asked about this week’s negotiations, Trump reiterated that he had had “a very great meeting with the representatives of the most powerful countries in the Middle East”. He added that the US was “close to a deal” to end the war.

“I think we can get that one done,” Trump said. “I hope we can get it done. A lot of people are dying, but we want the hostages back.”

Trump stressed that the return of the Israeli captives held in Gaza — both the living and the bodies of the deceased — was a necessary condition to achieving a ceasefire.

The next step, he explained, was to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stress that all parties involved want the war to end.

“I believe in the peace efforts Mr Trump is leading,” Erdogan added.

The Turkish leader had been among the participants in the meeting, along with representatives from Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump tells Putin ‘time to stop’ in Ukraine

Trump has also repeatedly pledged to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022 and has resulted in a slow-grinding war.

But in short remarks on Thursday addressing the war, Trump briefly needled Erdogan for his country’s continued trade with Russia.

“I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage against Ukraine,” Trump said.

Earlier this week, Trump made headlines when he posted on social media that he believes Ukraine can win back all of the territory Russia has captured since the invasion began.

It was a sudden about-face for the US president, whose administration has long maintained that Ukraine would have to cede occupied territory in order to achieve peace.

At Thursday’s news conference, Trump also chastised Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing the war in Ukraine, calling it “such a waste of human life.”

“ Russia’s spent millions and millions of dollars in bombs, missiles, ammunition and lives — their lives. And they’ve gained virtually no land,” Trump said. “I think it’s time to stop, I really do.”

Trade deals and sanctions

One of the most anticipated elements of Thursday’s meeting was the prospect that the US could resume trading military aircraft with Turkiye.

In 2019, during Trump’s first term as president, the US removed Turkiye from a programme that saw Washington sell sophisticated F-35 fighter jets to allies.

The US expressed fears at the time that Turkiye’s use of Russian technology could result in the collection of US military data.

But on Thursday, Trump hinted he may lift sanctions against the sale of such aircraft to Turkiye if his meeting with Erdogan went well.

“I know he wants the F-35, and he’s wanted that,” Trump said of Erdogan. “And we’re talking about that very seriously.”

The pair also planned to discuss the transfer of F-16 fighter jets. The US had approved the sale of the F-16s to Turkiye in January 2024 after the Turkish parliament ratified Sweden’s NATO membership.

When asked whether he was willing to make a deal to sell F-35s as well, Trump said of Erdogan, “I think he’ll be successful in buying the things that he wants to buy.”

Trump also said he could lift sanctions against Turkiye’s defence industries “very soon”, adding: “If we have a good meeting, almost immediately.”

‘Major announcement’ coming on Syria

At Thursday’s news conference, Trump took time to praise Erdogan, as well, for his government’s efforts in war-torn Syria.

He also teased that he would make a “major announcement” later in the day about Syria, but did not elaborate.

Syria had faced a nearly 14-year-long civil war until last December, when a rebel offensive toppled the government of former President Bashar al-Assad.

Since the fall of al-Assad’s government, the Trump administration has begun to lift sanctions against Syria that were designed to address human rights abuses under the former president.

At Thursday’s meeting, Trump credited Erdogan with paving the way for the sanctions relief in Syria. He also praised Erdogan for his role in al-Assad’s removal.

“ I think President Erdogan is the one responsible for Syria, for the successful fight in ridding Syria of its past leader,” Trump said. “ I think this man is responsible. He doesn’t take the responsibility, but it’s actually a great achievement.”

Trump added, “I took sanctions off in order to let them breathe, because those sanctions were very strong.”