Drones attacked a ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip in international waters off Malta today, the Associated Press reported, citing “Codepink“ (Codepink) - a civil society movement for peace and social justice.
The Maltese authorities reported that a fire had broken out and that it had been brought under control.
The vessel, owned by the Gaza Freedom Flotilla coalition, which is campaigning to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza, was supposed to deliver food and supplies to the population in the enclave, the statement said.
The ship was hit about 26 kilometers off the coast of Malta, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla said.
The vessel, which sent a distress signal shortly after midnight after catching fire, activists and Maltese authorities said, quoted by DPA.
Activists on board the ship said that it was attacked by a drone at 00:23. (01:23 Bulgarian time) today near the Mediterranean island.
“The front of the vessel was hit twice, causing a fire and a breach in the hull“, activists wrote in “Ex“ and published a video showing flames.
The Maltese government only confirmed that there was a fire on board, but did not specify the cause.
The government said a tugboat was dispatched and brought the fire under control at around 2:00 a.m. The “Conscience“ had 12 crew members and four civilians on board, the Maltese government said, adding that those on board refused to abandon ship. There are no reports of casualties or injuries.
The Times of Malta reported that the international activists on board the ship were on a mission to draw attention to the Israeli blockade of Gaza, DPA reported.
“Activist Greta Thunberg and US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright were among the aid workers preparing to board the ship in Malta,” the report said.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla has accused Israel of attacking its ship. It has not provided evidence of this, nor that the fire was caused by drones, but an explosion can be heard in a video it shared. Another video shows a fire burning.
The Israeli military has not yet responded to AP requests for comment.
Charlie Andreasson, who has been with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla for more than a decade, told the AP he spoke to people on board who said there were two explosions and a fire.
Although the people on board are safe, the organization previously said the strike appeared to have targeted the ship's generator, causing a "significant hole in the hull" and leaving the vessel without power. She said this put the ship at risk of sinking.
For two months, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, from entering Gaza, triggering the worst humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory since the war began nearly 19 months ago, the AP notes.
In 2010, during an attempt by a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to break the blockade of Gaza, Israeli forces stormed the Turkish ship “Mavi Marmara“, killing nine people on board. The incident led to the severing of diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey.