One of a fleet of Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ships was engulfed in flames early Friday after what organizers called a drone attack. The ship, Conscience, was sailing in international waters about 17 kilometers from Malta’s coast when the blaze broke out.
The vessel had set sail from Tunisia on Tuesday evening and was anchored off Malta to await more activists, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), who had organized the mission. As the ship lay anchored, it was said to have been struck by two air attacks, resulting in severe damage and igniting a fire.
Organizers Blame Israel
FFC officials say the Conscience was targeted. Yasemin Acar, press officer of the coalition, said in a report to CNN that there was a hole in the ship and that it was sinking. Video footage posted on Twitter revealed fire, smoke, and two loud explosions.
FFC accused the Israeli military of conducting the drone attacks, asserting that the ship’s generators had been targeted and disabled critical systems. “Israeli ambassadors need to be called in and held to account for acts against international law,” the organization stated, condemning as well the continued blockade on Gaza.
There has been no response from Israel to the charges as of Friday afternoon.
Passengers and crew safe
In spite of the dramatic attack, all 12 crew and four civilian passengers on board were said to be safe. The Maltese authorities confirmed the fire and reported it had been extinguished successfully. A tugboat was dispatched to rescue, but those on board the Conscience would not accept it.
Maltese emergency services helped in firefighting, but have yet to make a full statement on the cause of the fire.
Mission Shrouded in Secrecy
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had maintained the mission in media blackout to prevent sabotage. Volunteers from 21 nations were engaged. The objective: deliver vital humanitarian assistance directly to Gaza, where more than two million individuals suffer acute deficiencies of food, water, and medicine.
The Gaza blockade has tightened since Israel’s March imposition of full closure, following the October 7 Hamas attacks. Assistance to the region has been progressively restricted.
Green activist Greta Thunberg and former U.S. Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright were to be part of the mission later but were not on board when the incident occurred.
Background on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a global network of Palestinian solidarity activists. Their aim is to use non-violent means to confront Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The coalition sails ships to bring direct aid and draw international attention to the situation in the blockaded coastal enclave.
The Conscience was the newest in a series of such missions. Though past attempts have encountered interceptions and warnings, an attack by a drone in international waters is a worrisome escalation.
Global Response Anticipated
The purported targeting of a civilian humanitarian aid ship in international waters can incite diplomatic reprisals. Humanitarian agencies and lawyers are demanding independent investigations into the attack.
If the drone attack is proven to be state-sponsored, it may constitute a breach of maritime and humanitarian law.
While the world observes, the fate of the Conscience becomes more than a vessel and it’s now a symbol of the larger Gaza crisis.
