Tel Aviv, Israel (AP) – Drones attacked a ship carrying Help in Gaza Friday in the international waters of Malta, the group organizing the expedition. A fire broke out but was under control, the authorities said.
A nearby tug responded to a call for distress of conscience, which transported 12 crew members and four civilians, said the government of Malta, adding that those on board refused to leave the ship. The group was safe and no injury was reported, he said.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of having attacked its ship. The group did not provide proof of this complaint or show that the fire was caused by drones, but in a video, it shared an explosion could be heard. Another video showed fire.
The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comments.
The video aboard the consciousness seemed to show at least two large holes in the bridge, with thick smoke surrounding the ship. The person recording the images said that the ship had just been hit twice and was on fire at around 14 miles from Port to Malta. The video was provided by Codepink, a movement of basic peace and social justice.
Israel cut Gaza from all imports, including food and medicineSince the beginning of March, leading to what would be the worst humanitarian crisis in almost 19 months of war with Hamas.
Israel says that blocking is an attempted pressure on the Palestinian militant group To publish hostages He took the attack on October 7, 2023 which sparked the conflict. Activists led by Hamas attacked southern Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians and removing 251. Hamas holds 59 hostages, 24 of whom are supposed to be alive.
In response, Israel launched an offensive that killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel’s bombings and ground operations have destroyed large areas of the territory And left most of its homeless population.
When a help flotilla tried to break a Gaza Basement in 2010Israeli forces stormed a Turkish ship, Mavi Marmara, killing nine people on board.
Friday, the conscience was affected at around 16 miles (26 kilometers) from Malta, according to the Freedom Flatilla.
Charlie Andreasson, who has been involved in the group for more than a decade, told the Associated Press that he had spoken to people on board who said there were two explosions and that a fire had broken out.
The photos provided by the Cypriot authorities showed the ship with damage to its side. No one aboard the ship could immediately be joined to comment.
Earlier, the group said the strike seemed to have targeted the ship’s generator, causing a “substantial violation in the hull” and leaving it without power. He said the ship may flow.
According to the website for the surveillance of marine vessels, the conscience left the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Tuesday and arrived on Thursday morning in the region where he said he was attacked. The organizers said the ship was struck on Friday, just after midnight.
Volunteers who had traveled to Malta had to get on the ship to go to Gaza, the group said. Andreasson said that climate activist Greta Thunberg is said to have participated. The organization said Thunberg was not on board and was safe.
About two dozen volunteers, including Thunberg, took small conscience boats to assess the damage after the attack, said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink. Benjamin said that the ship’s crew came from Turkey and Azerbaijan.
“They still want to go to Gaza, but I don’t know what shape is the ship,” she said.
The attack occurred while the aid groups have warned that the humanitarian response to Gaza is about to collapse.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that it would not have access to food, drugs and vital supplies necessary for many of its Gaza programs if the aid deliveries do not resume immediately.
Risk programs include “current kitchens” that often give residents the only meal they receive every day and may have to stop operations in a few weeks, ICRC said.
“Aid should be allowed to enter Gaza. Hostages must be released. Civilians must be protected,” said the committee. “Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further in chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to alleviate.”
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Brito contributed to Barcelona, Spain. The writers of the TIA Goldenberg associated press in Tel Aviv, Israel; Giada Zampano in Rome; Kevin Schembri Orland in St. Julian’s, Malta; Colleen Barry in Soave, Italy; Elena Becatoros and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Jamey Kealen in Geneva; Ménélaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; And Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this report.
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