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

Activists who were planning to sail a ship to Gaza say it was struck by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta - appearing to accuse Israel of being behind the attack.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said its ship The Conscience was targeted at 00:23 local time on Friday and issued an SOS signal right after the attack.

The group said it had planned to sail to Gaza with people including climate activist Greta Thunberg on board and "challenge Israel's illegal siege and blockade".

The Maltese government said everyone aboard the ship is "confirmed safe" and that a fire onboard the ship was "brought under control overnight".

The NGO called for Israeli ambassadors to be summoned to answer for "violation of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel".

The Israeli military said it was looking into reports of the attack.

Greta Thunberg was among those who had planned to board the ship once it departed for Gaza on Friday.

Speaking to journalists in Valetta, she said: "I was part of the group who was supposed to board that boat today to continue the voyage towards Gaza, which is one of many attempts to open up a humanitarian corridor and to do our part to keep trying to break Israel's illegal siege on Gaza."

She said the attack on the ship by two drones "caused an explosion and major damage to the vessel, which made it impossible to continue the mission".

Thunberg adds that as far as she's aware, the ship is still at the location of the attack because moving it would let too much water in.

"What is certain is that we human rights activists will continue to do everything in our power to do our part, to demand a free Palestine and demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor," she said.

The Maltese government said that 12 crew and four activists were on board the boat, while the NGO said 30 activists had been on board.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition uploaded a video showing a fire on the ship. It said the attack appeared to have targeted the generator, which left the ship without power and at risk of sinking.

The Maltese government said a tugboat was sent to the scene to extinguish the fire, which they say was under control by 01:28 local time.

"By 2:13, all crew were confirmed safe but refused to board the tug," the statement said, adding the ship remains outside territorial waters.

Cyprus responded to the SOS signal by dispatching a vessel, the charity said, but that it was not "providing the critical electrical support needed".

The coalition is campaigning to end Israel's blockade of Gaza, which is also facing mounting international condemnation. Last month the UK, French and German foreign ministers described the Israeli decision to block aid as "intolerable".

• Gaza kitchens warn food will run out in days after two months of Israeli blockade

Two months ago, Israel shut all crossings to Gaza – preventing all goods, including food, fuel and medicines from entering - and later resumed its military offensive, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

Some humanitarian organisations such as the World Food Programme say they have already run out of food while community kitchens say their stocks are dwindling fast. On Friday the Red Cross said the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the verge of "total collapse".

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 52,418 people have been killed in Gaza during the ensuing war, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.