Il Nuovo Postiglione - Activists say drones attacked aid boat bound for Gaza

The Maltese government and Cypriot rescuers said they had responded to a distress call from the vessel, while Malta said all crew members were safe and made no mention of an alleged attack.

The activists said they suspected Israel could be behind the incident, and Cyprus's rescue agency said it had been informed by the island's foreign ministry of an Israeli drone strike.

The Israeli military did not provide an immediate response when contacted by AFP.

"At 00:23 Maltese time (2223 GMT on Thursday), the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship came under direct attack in international waters," the activist group said in a statement.

"Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull," it added.

"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."

Asked whether the group believed Israel was behind the attack, a spokesperson told AFP they "suspected" that was the case.

"While we can not confirm 100%, we suspect it's Israel," Hay Sha Wiya said, calling the country "the primary entity interested in keep us and any aid out of Gaza."

Israel is known for conducting intelligence operations beyond its borders, including several during the Gaza war that it only acknowledged later.

The activists said the strike appeared to target the boat's generator.

Following the distress call, the Malta Vessel Traffic Services body dispatched a tugboat and offered support.

"The tug arrived on scene and began firefighting operations. By 0128 hrs, the fire was reported under control," the Maltese statement said.

- 'Desperately needed aid' -

Cyprus also dispatched a vessel following the distress call.

"The Larnaca Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) has been informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus that a vessel possibly transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza came under missile attack by an Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) while sailing within the Search and Rescue (SAR) Region of Malta," the Cypriot rescue body said.

It said a Cypriot-owned vessel in the area "participated in firefighting operations".

The activists were on what they called a "mission to challenge Israel's illegal and deadly siege of Gaza, and to deliver desperately needed, life-saving aid".

Israel has since March 2 blocked all aid deliveries to Gaza, and resumed intense military operations in the territory in mid-March, with a two-month ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in tatters.

The International Committee of the Red Cross warned Friday that the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the "verge of total collapse" after two months of Israel blocking aid to the territory.

A previous "Freedom Flotilla" sailed from southern Turkey in 2010 but ended in bloodshed when Israeli forces stormed the Mavi Marmara vessel, killing 10 people and wounding 28.

Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023, which sparked the Gaza war, resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Thursday that at least 2,326 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,418.

Both Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas leads, issued statements condemning the incident off Malta.

Hamas said it showed Israel's "blatant disregard for the will of humanity and justice".

D.Campanella--INP