On Friday morning, drones attacked a humanitarian aid ship on its way to Gaza. As a reminder, this attack took place on the high seas, in international waters, off the coast of Malta. In a single attack, the vessel was disabled, depriving it of power and at risk of sinking. The ship, appropriately named the Conscience, had a crew of 12 and four civilian passengers. The Maltese government later assured that those on board were safe.
In fact, the Conscience was carrying activists from 21 different countries who hoped to deliver tons of much-needed aid into the Palestinian territory. The need for the vessel’s humanitarian mission was urgently amplified as humanitarian agencies inside Gaza announced that food supplies were running dangerously low. There she and her group shared their remaining flour and food stores. The community kitchens that serve three meals a day to those who need them are going to be shutting down in a week to ten days.
The incident occurred at 00:23 Maltese time when armed drones struck the front of the unarmed civilian vessel twice. The attack led to a sizeable fire and a three-meter (10-foot) breach in the hull, effectively stranding the ship. A local tug was ordered to give aid to the disabled boat.
Over this same two-month period, Israel reports show that it has maintained zero grading-free checkpoints to enter Israel from Gaza. This blockade severely restricts the entrance of crucial items such as food, fuel, and medicine. Indeed, for years Israeli officials have justified the blockade on the basis that Hamas hijacks humanitarian assistance and uses it to wage terror. Other Gaza aid officials strongly dispute this, claiming no organized or systemic diversion of aid has taken place recently.
Military operations in Gaza sharply increased following the end of that tenuous ceasefire in the middle of March. In response, the need to provide humanitarian aid became more urgent than ever. In an October 25 statement, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition condemned the drone attack and called for accountability for violations of international law.
“At 00:23 Maltese time, the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship came under direct attack in international waters,” – Freedom Flotilla Coalition
“Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull,” – Freedom Flotilla Coalition
“Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters,” – Freedom Flotilla Coalition