Gaza activist ship 'attacked by drones' off coast of Malta, NGO says

Activists who were readying to sail an assistance vessel to Gaza accidental it was attacked by drones successful planetary waters disconnected the Maltese seashore successful the aboriginal hours of Friday.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said its vessel The Conscience was targeted astatine 00:23 section clip (22:23 GMT) and issued an SOS distress awesome close aft the attack. The radical said it had planned to sail to Gaza and "challenge Israel's amerciable siege and blockade" there.

The Maltese authorities said a occurrence onboard the vessel was "brought nether power overnight" and that the vessel was being monitored by "relevant authorities". It said nary casualties had been reported.

The Maltese authorities said 12 unit and 4 activists were connected committee the boat, portion the NGO said 30 activists had been connected board.

The NGO appeared to impeach Israel of being down the incidental and called for Israeli ambassadors to beryllium summoned to reply for "violation of planetary law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel".

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

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition uploaded a video showing a occurrence connected 1 of its ships but did not bespeak whether anyone had been hurt. It said the onslaught appeared to person targeted the generator, which near the vessel without powerfulness and astatine hazard of sinking.

The vessel was 17 nautical miles (31.5 kilometres) eastbound of Malta erstwhile it was hit.

Cyprus responded to the SOS awesome by dispatching a vessel, the foundation said, but that it was not "providing the captious electrical enactment needed".

The conjugation is campaigning to extremity Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Two months ago, Israel unopen each crossings to Gaza – preventing each goods, including food, substance and medicines from entering - and aboriginal resumed its subject offensive, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

The Israeli subject launched a run to destruct Hamas successful effect to an unprecedented cross-border onslaught connected 7 October 2023, successful which astir 1,200 radical were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At slightest 52,418 radical person been killed successful Gaza during the ensuing war, according to the territory's Hamas-run wellness ministry.