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Activist Group Claims Drones Attacked Aid Boat for Gaza Off Malta

fire on activist boat
Tug fighting the fires on the activist's boat (Government of Malta press release)

Published May 2, 2025 9:31 AM by The Maritime Executive


A small vessel issued a distress call shortly after midnight local time off Malta on May 2 reporting that it was on fire and claiming it was under attack by drones. The activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition which is campaigning to free Gaza quickly reported it was their vessel named Conscience on a humanitarian mission to Gaza.

The group is claiming that the vessel was in international waters approximately 16 miles from Malta when “armed drones attacked the front,” of the vessel twice. The boat which is registered in Palau was reported to be heading to Malta to take on more human rights activists, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, as part of its mission to Gaza.

The group reports the ship experienced “a fire and a substantial breach in the hull.” They assert that the vessel’s generator was targeted to leave it without power and put the ship at risk of sinking. Freedom Flotilla Coalition claimed in a statement that the drones were continuing to circle the ship.

 

Picture of the reported damage to Conscience (Freedom Flotilla Coalition)

 

The Government of Malta issued a statement confirming the firefighting efforts. The Malta Vessel Traffic Services received the distress call reporting that there were 12 crewmembers and four passengers aboard. It coordinated with a tug that was one nautical mile away and which assisted in the firefight. A patrol boat from the Armed Forces of Malta was also dispatched to assist.

According to the report from Malta, after about one hour the fire was under control. The tug offered to evacuate the people from the small boat but the group refused to leave their boat. They provided additional assistance with the internal fire and reported by 0345 that the vessel and its crew were secure. No injuries are being reported and Malta continues to monitor the boat.

Freedom Flotilla Coalition reports it had organized the mission “under a media blackout to avoid potential sabotage.” It said the intent was that human rights activists aboard planned to challenge the siege of Gaga, calling for an end to the blockade, and delivering life-saving aid.

 

 

The group reported that communications to the vessel were destroyed but that vessel remains afloat. They said a vessel was dispatched from Cyprus to aid their boat but “it is not providing the critical electrical support needed.” AIS signals indicate the Conscience is anchored approximately 25 miles east of Valetta, Malta.

They are calling for the Israel ambassadors to be “summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockage and the “bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters.” 

The group supplied no evidence that the vessel was attacked by Israel. The government of Israel did block further aid into Gaza starting in March after the ceasefire and return of hostages stopped. Media is reporting that the Israel Defense Force did not respond to inquiries this morning about the incident off Malta.

Late in the day on Friday, the Government of Malta issued a further statement emphasizing that "at no point in time, during the past 48 hours, any aircraft or vessel, currently mentioned in local and foreign media in relation to the case of the vessel Conscience, entered Maltese Sovereign Airspace or the Territorial sea (12 nautical miles from shore)."