A ship carrying humanitarian aid and activists bound for Gaza was attacked by drones early Friday morning in international waters, 14 miles off the coast of Malta. The vessel, sailing under the flag of Palau and named Conscience, was part of a symbolic mission protesting the blockade imposed by Israel, which has prevented the entry of food, water, and medicine into the Palestinian enclave for the past two months.
The attack, which activists attribute to Israel, caused no injuries but sparked a fire on board, knocked out the power system, and damaged part of the hull. The crew issued a general distress call. The Maltese government confirmed the ship was outside its territorial waters and that all 16 people on board were safe. Authorities also said the situation was under control.
The international Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the voyage, released footage of the attack, showing what appears to be a drone strike targeting the ship’s generator. The group called on governments to summon Israeli ambassadors and hold them accountable for “violations of international law,” including the ongoing blockade of Gaza and the attack on a civilian vessel in international waters.
This is not the first time a humanitarian flotilla to Gaza has come under attack. In 2010, an Israeli operation against a larger flotilla resulted in the deaths of ten activists. Since then, Israel has thwarted multiple similar missions. In April 2024, another flotilla carrying more than 5,500 tons of food attempted to depart from Turkey but was ultimately canceled after repeated delays, reportedly due to diplomatic pressure and bureaucratic obstacles. The Conscience was originally one of the ships scheduled to participate in that mission.
Prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg was expected to join this latest journey but was on land at the time of the attack. Three Spanish nationals who were also part of the group were not aboard either.
The ship set sail amid a worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza. The government of Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of using hunger as a weapon of war—tightening restrictions on movement, cutting off the territory’s only power line, and resuming large-scale displacement orders. In recent weeks, over 2,000 people have been killed, most of them women, children, or the elderly, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Food stocks are depleting rapidly, and prices for basic goods like flour have soared.
