Malta, Mediterranean Sea – Early on Friday morning, Israeli military drones directly attacked the, Conscience, a civilian ship loaded with humanitarian aid for Gaza, while it was anchored in international waters 17 kilometers off the coast of Malta.
The boat, operated by the Coalition of the Flotilla de la Libertad (FFC), suffered severe damage after the impact: generators destroyed, fire on board and a hole in the hull that left it partially sunk. There were more than 30 people on board, including activists of various nationalities seeking to deliver food and medicine to the Palestinian population in Gaza, currently under a total blockade by the Israeli government.
“On the morning of its scheduled departure, the ship was attacked. Armed drones attacked the bow of an unarmed civilian ship twice, causing a fire and a major hull breach. The latest communication indicated that the drones were still flying over the ship”, this is what can be read in the note sent to media by the organization.
The Maltese government confirmed that it received the distress signal and sent a tugboat to the site. Although no injuries were reported, the crew refused to leave the vessel even while it was burning, for fear that the attack could be repeated.
The FFC denounced the act as an international crime, and do not deny that it may have been a deliberate attack by Israel to prevent the aid being carried, since the ship was in international waters, and did not carry weapons or armed personnel, and that their only mission was to deliver aid to a population on the brink of famine.
UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, confirmed that she received a distress call from the flotilla and demanded protection for civilians and an immediate investigation of the attack.
This act of aggression takes place in a context where Gaza, besieged since 7 October 2023, faces extreme conditions. The World Food Programme has reported that its warehouses are empty and that the last soup kitchens can barely operate. Israel has maintained a total blockade since 2 March, cutting off all access to food, fuel and medicine.
