A Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) ship called The Conscience, which was carrying aid to the besieged Gaza strip, was hit by drones in the international waters of the Mediterranean sea in the early hours of Friday, May 2. Although Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, all fingers have been pointing to it.
According to FFC, the ship was attacked off the coasts of Malta while on the final preparatory stages before sailing to Gaza, in a bid to break a two-month total blockade imposed by Israel on the war-torn enclave.
“At 00:23 Maltese time, the Freedom Flotilla vessel was subjected to a drone attack. The front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull,” activist Nicole Jenes posted on her X account.
Jenes said that the wrecked ship was in international waters near Malta, with no helping hand being extended from any country except for Cyprus, which responded to an SOS distress signal by dispatching a vessel.
“The drone attack appears to have specifically targeted the ship’s generator, and the vessel is now at risk of sinking with 30 international human rights activists on board,” Jenes added, calling the Maltese government for immediate help.
The assault was widely condemned by governments and advocates
Türkiye
Türkiye condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”, confirming that there was a Turkish citizen among the 16 people on board the targeted vessel.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli pointed out that “there are allegations that the ship was targeted by Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles,” reaffirming that “all necessary efforts will be made to reveal the details of the attack as soon as possible and to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Keçeli confirmed that the health of the crew and passengers on the targeted ship is “good”, while “necessary efforts are being carried out in cooperation with the Maltese authorities to transfer the Turkish citizens to a safe location.
Colombia
Meanwhile, the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, urged the Maltese and Italian authorities to “give maximum attention and support” to two Colombian citizens on board The Conscience, which is currently off their coasts.
“Alejandra Cuellar and Diana Carolina Alfonso, Colombian journalists with Canal Red, are on the freedom flotilla bombed yesterday by drones, apparently from Israel. The ship was carrying food shipments for Gaza and is near Malta, possibly sinking. The attack must be reported by the Republic of Colombia, and I hope the Italian Embassy and Consulate in Malta will give maximum attention and support to Alejandra and Diana. The Italian and Maltese governments must be active in the relief effort. Solidarity is the highest expression of the human being, the attack on human solidarity is from Nazis.”
Human Rights advocates
Human Rights lawyer and former UN official Craig Mokhiber denounced the offensive, saying: “The attacks on the humanitarian flotilla, on Gaza and the West Bank, on Lebanon and Yemen, on Palestinians and human rights defenders in the US, UK, Germany, and elsewhere in the West, on cyber-space & the high seas, are all part of the same genocide.”
“Violent mobs of Zionists, lobbies, intel agencies, corrupt politicians, the capture of our institutions, the mobilization of state power against those resisting Zionist apartheid & genocide, and attacks on education in our own countries are all part of the same genocide.” The human rights lawyer added.
“Truly, the struggle of the Palestinians is our struggle too. Fight this evil every day, everywhere,” he emphasized.
In the early hours of Saturday, May 3, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, sounded the alarm about the fate of the hit vessel, which was still on the high seas.
“URGENT! The Conscience (Flotilla boat) is currently outside Malta and needs to enter a safe port in order to recover from the assault. Another night in open waters can make it vulnerable to another attack,” Albanese warned.
“I hope Maltese authorities will do what humanity commands,” she asserted.
The attack on The Conscience is a reminiscent of the Israeli commando raid on Mavi Marmara flotilla
The flagrant assault on The Conscience flotilla brought back memories of the raid launched by Israeli commandos on Mavi Marmara flotilla, which was carrying aid from Türkiye to Gaza in 2010. Ten people were killed in the attack resulting in a deterioration in Turkish-Israeli relations for a number of years.
The attack on The Conscience appears to be yet another example of the deliberate targeting of civilian activists by Israel, and the systemic nature in which it disregards international laws.
