Activists say ship aiming to sail to Gaza was attacked by drones

Activists who have been planning to sail a ship to Gaza say it was struck by drones in worldwide waters off the coast of Malta – showing to accuse Israel of being behind the assault.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition mentioned its ship The Conscience was focused at 00:23 native time on Friday and issued an SOS sign proper after the assault.

The BBC was despatched a recording of the misery name from the flotilla ship, recorded by a crew member on a close-by oil tanker. The captain of the flotilla ship can clearly be heard reporting drone strikes and a fireplace onboard.

The Maltese authorities mentioned everybody aboard the ship is “confirmed secure” and {that a} fireplace onboard the ship was “introduced underneath management in a single day”.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition mentioned it had deliberate to sail to Gaza with individuals together with local weather activist Greta Thunberg on board and “problem Israel’s unlawful siege and blockade”.

The NGO referred to as for Israeli ambassadors to be summoned to reply for “violation of worldwide regulation, together with the continued blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel”.

The Israeli army mentioned it was trying into experiences of the assault.

Organisers informed the BBC that the group had been “working in complete secrecy with a whole media blackout” to stop “sabotage” as they ready to sail in direction of Gaza – the place about two million Palestinians have been underneath a whole blockade by the Israeli army for 2 months.

Volunteer Surya McEwen mentioned he and others had misplaced contact with the ship after the incident, which he mentioned triggered a fireplace on board and broken the hull. That they had since been informed there have been no main accidents.

“It is a full-on scenario for them however they’re recovering,” he informed the BBC, including that the incident had been an “unprovoked assault on a civilian vessel in worldwide waters, making an attempt to do a humanitarian mission”.

Local weather activist Greta Thunberg was amongst those that had deliberate to board the ship as soon as it departed for Gaza on Friday.

Chatting with journalists in Valetta, she mentioned: “I used to be a part of the group who was alleged to board that boat in the present day to proceed the voyage in direction of Gaza, which is one in all many makes an attempt to open up a humanitarian hall and to do our half to maintain making an attempt to interrupt Israel’s unlawful siege on Gaza.”

Thunberg added that so far as she’s conscious, the ship continues to be on the location of the assault as a result of transferring it might let an excessive amount of water in.

“What is for certain is that we human rights activists will proceed to do all the things in our energy to do our half, to demand a free Palestine and demand the opening of a humanitarian hall,” she mentioned.

The Maltese authorities mentioned that 12 crew and 4 activists have been on board the boat, whereas the NGO mentioned 30 activists had been on board.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition uploaded a video exhibiting a fireplace on the ship. It mentioned the assault appeared to have focused the generator, which left the ship with out energy and vulnerable to sinking.

The Maltese authorities mentioned a tugboat was despatched to the scene to extinguish the fireplace, which they are saying was underneath management by 01:28 native time.

“By 2:13, all crew have been confirmed secure however refused to board the tug,” the assertion mentioned, including the ship stays outdoors territorial waters.

Cyprus responded to the SOS sign by dispatching a vessel, the activists mentioned, however that it didn’t “present the crucial electrical assist wanted”.

Marine monitoring software program reveals that the Conscience left Tunisia on Tuesday night and is at the moment round 12-14 nautical miles off Malta.

The coalition is campaigning to finish Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which can be going through mounting worldwide condemnation. Final month the UK, French and German overseas ministers described the Israeli resolution to dam assist as “insupportable”.

Two months in the past, Israel shut all crossings to Gaza – stopping all items, together with meals, gasoline and medicines from getting into – and later resumed its army offensive, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

Some humanitarian organisations such because the World Meals Programme say they’ve already run out of meals whereas neighborhood kitchens say their shares are dwindling quick. On Friday the Purple Cross mentioned the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the verge of “complete collapse”.

The Israeli army launched a marketing campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border assault on 7 October 2023, wherein about 1,200 individuals have been killed and 251 others have been taken hostage.

No less than 52,418 individuals have been killed in Gaza through the ensuing battle, in keeping with the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry.

Extra reporting by Tom Bateman, Alice Cuddy and BBC Confirm