Gaza, MINA – A ship organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza was struck by drones on Friday while in international waters, 14 nautical miles off the coast of Malta, Al Jazeera reported.
The vessel, named Conscience, suffered significant damage in two drone strikes that caused a fire and breached its hull, according to a statement by the FFC.
The ship was preparing to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza, where aid agencies have warned of a humanitarian catastrophe following a two-month total halt of humanitarian aid.
The FFC did not explicitly name the attacker but demanded that Israeli ambassadors be held accountable for violating international law, citing the blockade and the bombing of a civilian vessel in international waters.
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Nicole Jenes, an FFC spokesperson, told Al Jazeera that the attack occurred at 12:23 p.m. local time and ignited the ship’s engine.
Thirty activists from Turkey and Azerbaijan on board worked urgently to control flooding and keep the ship afloat. Communication was later lost, and the activists reportedly hid inside the ship in fear of further drone activity.
A vessel from Southern Cyprus responded to the ship’s SOS calls, while the Maltese government confirmed the fire had been contained and that the situation was under surveillance, though details about the activists’ condition remain unclear.
Jenes emphasized that the attack reflects the broader context of what she described as genocide in Gaza and called for international attention and accountability.
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The FFC is composed of peace activists from various countries who have converted a trawler into a humanitarian aid vessel to challenge Israel’s blockade.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Friday that the humanitarian response in Gaza is “on the verge of total collapse” due to intense conflict and prolonged obstruction of aid deliveries. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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