By KUMAIL JAFFER

Published: 08:27 BST, 2 May 2025 | Updated: 08:35 BST, 2 May 2025

An aid ship heading to Gaza caught fire and issued an SOS call after reportedly being attacked by drones off the coast of Malta.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international NGO, say their vessel was assaulted while in international waters early this morning.

Harrowing footage shows a fire raging on the ship, which the organisation says was loaded with supplies for the besieged territory.

Human rights activist Greta Thunberg is in Malta and was supposed to have boarded the ship, according to the NGO. 

The coalition said that the ‘front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull’ – but that no countries had responded to their SOS call.

They believe that the front of the vessel was the target, but did not accuse any specific party of carrying out the attack. 

‘There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking,’ Yasemin Acar, the coalition’s press officer, told CNN. 

‘Our vessel is 17 kilometers off the shores of Malta right now in international waters, and they have been subjected to a drone attack twice.

‘We have 30 international human rights activists on that vessel at this very moment on a vessel that is sinking.’

Harrowing footage shows a fire raging on the ship, which the organisation says was loaded with supplies for the besieged territory

Harrowing footage shows a fire raging on the ship, which the organisation says was loaded with supplies for the besieged territory

The coalition said that the 'front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull' - but that no countries had responded to their SOS call

The coalition said that the ‘front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull’ – but that no countries had responded to their SOS call

Yasemin Acar, the coalition's press officer, said: 'Our vessel is 17 kilometers off the shores of Malta right now in international waters, and they have been subjected to a drone attack twice'

Yasemin Acar, the coalition’s press officer, said: ‘Our vessel is 17 kilometers off the shores of Malta right now in international waters, and they have been subjected to a drone attack twice’

‘Under international maritime law, Malta has an obligation to act & ensure the safety of a civilian ship in distress within its proximity,’ the NGO added in a social media post. 

Marine traffic websites show the ship, the Conscience, departed Tunisia on Tuesday night. 

Tracking data showed it had been in its position off the coast of Malta for around 12 hours before the alleged attack occurred on Friday morning. 

The Conscience is listed as flying under a Palau flag. 

The NGO said volunteers from 21 countries are on board the vessel. 

A spokesperson for the Armed Forces of Malta said: ‘We are monitoring the situation closely.’ 

The coalition is campaigning to end Israel’s blockade of Gaza. 

Another coalition ship on a similar mission to Gaza in 2010 was stopped and boarded by Israeli troops, and nine activists died. Other ships have similarly been stopped and boarded, without loss of life. 

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Ship carrying aid to Gaza is ‘attacked by drones’ off Mediterranean island sparking onboard inferno amid race to rescue 30 activists from sinking vessel

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