Activists attempting to sail a ship to Gaza say it was struck by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta. They appeared to blame Israel for the attack.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported that its ship, The Conscience, was targeted at 00:23 local time on Friday, prompting the crew to issue an SOS distress call. A recording of that call, made by a crew member aboard a nearby oil tanker and shared with the BBC, captured the ship’s captain reporting drone strikes and a fire on board.
The Maltese government confirmed that all individuals on board were safe and that the fire was brought under control overnight. The vessel, carrying both crew and activists, was reportedly still at the location of the attack due to hull damage that made it unsafe to move.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the ship was preparing to sail to Gaza with high-profile figures, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, in an effort to challenge what they called “Israel’s illegal siege and blockade.” The NGO demanded that Israeli ambassadors be summoned over what it described as violations of international law.
The Israeli military told the BBC it was “looking into” reports of the incident. Meanwhile, flotilla organisers said the mission had been kept secret under a media blackout to avoid sabotage as they prepared to reach Gaza, where nearly two million Palestinians are under blockade.
Volunteer Surya McEwen said contact was lost with the ship after the incident, which caused a fire and damaged the vessel’s hull. He said there were no major injuries reported. “It’s a full-on situation for them, but they’re recovering,” he told the BBC, describing the strike as “an unprovoked attack on a civilian vessel in international waters.”
Greta Thunberg, speaking in Valletta, Malta, said she was part of the group due to board the ship on Friday. “This is one of many attempts to open a humanitarian corridor and to break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza,” she said. Thunberg added that moving the ship now could worsen its condition due to water intake.
The Maltese government stated that 12 crew and four activists were aboard, though the NGO claims as many as 30 activists had been involved. A video uploaded by the group shows a fire on board the vessel, which they say was likely triggered by a strike on the generator, disabling power and leaving the ship at risk of sinking.
Firefighters were dispatched by a tugboat and managed to extinguish the fire by 01:28 local time. Authorities confirmed all crew were safe by 02:13 but said they declined to board the rescue tug. The ship remains outside Maltese territorial waters.
Cyprus also responded to the SOS by sending a vessel, though activists say it failed to provide critical electrical support. Marine tracking data shows The Conscience had left Tunisia on Tuesday and was approximately 12-14 nautical miles off the Maltese coast at the time of the incident.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is part of a broader movement opposing Israel’s blockade on Gaza. The blockade has come under increasing international criticism, with the UK, France, and Germany recently calling Israel’s restrictions on aid “intolerable.” Humanitarian agencies have warned that food and medical supplies are nearly exhausted. The Red Cross said Friday that the humanitarian response is on the brink of collapse.
