Freedom Flotilla ship en route to Gaza hit by Israeli drone off Malta.
A ship belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, en route to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, was attacked late last night by two drones believed to be Israeli, according to organizers and coalition sources. The incident occurred in international waters near Malta, prompting widespread condemnation and raising serious legal concerns.
The targeted vessel, named Al-Dameer, was carrying 30 international activists and humanitarian supplies intended for the besieged Gaza Strip. While no casualties were reported, the ship sustained significant damage, including a fire and a hole in its hull.
Zaher al-Birawi, head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, stated that “preliminary data indicates that the ship was targeted by a drone likely to be Israeli, which led to the outbreak of a fire in one of its parts.”
He held Israel fully responsible for any harm to the passengers and urged Maltese authorities to take immediate action under international maritime law, noting that the attack occurred within Malta’s maritime jurisdiction.
In a formal statement, the Freedom Flotilla organizers accused Israel or one of its allies of conducting the strike, emphasizing that the vessel was anchored in international waters at the time.
“There were no casualties among the 30 international activists on board,” the statement confirmed. It also noted that a ship from southern Cyprus responded to the distress call.
The Maltese authorities acknowledged the incident, confirming that they had responded to a distress signal from Al-Dameer‘s captain and assisted in extinguishing an engine fire in international waters off the island.
The fire reportedly began after one of the drones struck the vessel’s power generation system, setting the bow ablaze and damaging the hull.
Nicole Jenness, an activist with the Campaign to Break the Siege on Gaza, stated, “The ship was attacked by two drones.”
A spokesperson for the Freedom Flotilla told CNN that “the Israeli attack caused a hole in the ship and it was in the process of sinking before intervention to extinguish the fire and save it.”
The activists had gathered in Malta from various countries and were expected to join Al-Dameer before it launched its mission toward Gaza. The vessel had anchored temporarily in international waters due to technical and insurance-related issues when it was attacked.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition posted a video on social media showing the fire on board shortly after midnight, providing visual evidence of the damage.
An Al Jazeera reporter noted that the ship was also scheduled to carry several tons of aid to Gaza. The spokesperson for the flotilla coalition said that distress calls were sent out immediately after the attack, but only authorities in southern Cyprus responded by dispatching a rescue vessel.
This is not the first time Israel has taken military action against the Freedom Flotilla. In 2010, Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, another Gaza-bound aid ship, killing 10 Turkish citizens and arresting dozens of activists in international waters—a move widely condemned at the time.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has previously attempted to sail aid ships to Gaza from countries including Turkey and Libya. Israel has consistently stated that it will not allow unauthorized ships to reach the Palestinian enclave, maintaining a naval blockade that has been in place since 2007.