On May 2, 2025, in the early hours of the night, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) reported that one of its ships, part of a convoy aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, caught fire and issued a distress signal following an Israeli drone attack near the coast of Malta.

• The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a coalition of nonviolent activists campaigning to end the Israeli siege on Gaza by organizing maritime missions to deliver aid, challenging the Israeli blockade. The ship, which set sail shortly before the attack, carried at least 16 people from several countries, including “prominent figures.”

• The FFC said they organized the mission under a media blackout “to avoid any potential sabotage.” Such missions have historically been contentious and have led to confrontations in the past.

• An Israeli drone struck, twice, the ship carrying humanitarian aid to the war-torn and besieged Gaza Strip while it was in international waters near Malta.

• The vessels is the 'CONSCIENCE' (IMO: 7211440), a Passenger Ship and is sailing under the flag of Palau. Her length overall (LOA) is 68.4 meters and her width is 10 meters.

• The coalition claims the vessel was targeted by a drone, resulting in a fire onboard. "At 12:23 a.m. Maltese time, a ship from the Freedom Flotilla was attacked by a drone. The bow of the boat was hit twice," the NGO stated on the social network X.

• According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organized the mission, the attack appeared to deliberately target the ship’s generator, sparking a fire and causing a “substantial breach in the hull” that left the vessel in danger of sinking.

• The ship's crew sent out an SOS, and rescue operations were initiated by Cyprus but ignored by Maltese officials.

• The Maltese government stated that the vessel and its crew were rescued in the early hours of the morning after a nearby "unidentified" tug assisted with firefighting operations :

"Shortly after the strikes, an unidentified tugboat arrived but initially offered no assistance. Despite repeated requests from the Conscience crew to help fight the fire, the tugboat circled the burning ship for approximately an hour before finally activating its water hose. The fire took nearly two hours to extinguish. The tugboat repeatedly urged the crew to abandon the ship. However, doing so would have rendered the vessel, together with the humanitarian aid on board, vulnerable to seizure, further jeopardizing our ability to continue our effort to sail and break the siege of Gaza. This may have been the intended outcome."

• Four individuals aboard the Conscience sustained minor injuries from the May 2 attack on the ship, including burns and cuts.

• During the night, there were no official statements from the governments of Malta, Israel, or other involved parties regarding the incident.

**Blattant collaboration of Maltese authorities **

• The Maltese coast guard was reportedly aware of the situation, based on recordings of phone calls, but refused to intervene. When asked by the FFC if they would provide assistance, the coast guard allegedly hung up.

• Despite repeated SOS distress calls, Malta denied the Conscience permission to enter territorial waters.

• On May 3 and 4, Maltese armed forces intercepted boats carrying FFC volunteers attempting to assist the damaged ship, and forced them to return under threat of arrest.

• On May 3 and 4, The coast guard and Maltese authorities also blocked other aid boats—including those carrying flotilla organizers such as Thiago Ávila—from reaching the Conscience.

• Injured civilians remain aboard the Conscience, which is still drifting in international waters and remains vulnerable to further attack. Maltese authorities have not given any reason for refusing to allow the ship to dock in its ports nor for preventing volunteers from delivering support.

• Malta offered no official justification for denying assistance or access.

Territorial Waters and Blockade

• The FFC reported that their vessels were prevented from entering Maltese territorial waters, despite being at risk of further drone attacks if they remained in open water overnight.

• This refusal came despite international maritime norms requiring states to assist ships in distress or allow others to render assistance.

International and EU Reaction

• As of late saturday, no EU leaders had issued statements condemning the attack.

• Neighboring states with capacity to assist the vessel did not intervene.

• The silence of the European Union and nearby governments is being interpreted by many observers as tacit complicity or indifference, particularly in light of the flotilla’s humanitarian mission and the context of Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Coalition "Freedom flotilla" statements

Freedom Flotilla Attacked — Ship in Distress, Immediate Action Needed from Maltese Government Featured, News, Press releases / By Jonatan Michaneck

"MALTA / INTERNATIONAL WATERS — At 00:23 Maltese time, the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship came under direct attack in international waters. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had been organizing a nonviolent action under a media black out to avoid any potential sabotage. Volunteers from over 21 countries travelled to Malta to board the mission to Gaza, including prominent figures. On the morning of their scheduled departure, the vessel was attacked. Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull. The last communication in the early morning of the 2nd of May, indicated the drones are still circling the ship."

"The ship, located in international waters just off the coast of Malta, issued an SOS distress signal immediately following the attack. A vessel from Southern Cyprus was dispatched but is not providing the critical electrical support needed. The drone strike appears to have deliberately targeted the ship’s generator, leaving the crew without power and placing the vessel at great risk of sinking."

"On board are international human rights activists on a nonviolent humanitarian mission to challenge Israel’s illegal and deadly siege of Gaza, and to deliver desperately needed, life-saving aid. Since March 2, 2025 Israel has barred all aid trucks from entering Gaza, deliberately starving over two million civilians in full view of the international community. Humanitarian experts estimate the population in Gaza requires at least 600 aid trucks each day to meet even the most basic needs, yet not a single truck has been allowed in for two months."

"The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Rome advised that a tugboat has been sent out and is on the scene. Our communications with the vessel were destroyed in the attack and we are unable to confirm this. Under international maritime law and conventions Malta is obliged to act and ensure the safety of a civilian ship in distress within its proximity. The lack of response and information about the rescue efforts breaches international customary law."

"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."

We demand that:

• Malta immediately respond to its obligation and ensure the safety of all on board the vessel.
• The international community condemns this aggression against an unarmed humanitarian aid vessel and demand the Maltese authorities immediately act.
• All states end political, financial and military support for Israel’s illegal siege, blockade, occupation, and apartheid.
• Civil society contact Maltese embassies and high commissions globally to ensure the safety of our humanitarians.

For further information contact:

Yasemin Acar – FFC Press Officer +49 151 62965117 Media@FreedomFlotilla.org International media contacts contacts"

Responsability

• No claim of responsibility has been made by Israel

• Channel 12 News confirmed at 8:34 (local hour) that it was Israeli drones that struck the ship.

-CNN reported that an Israeli Air Force C-130 Hercules flew toward Malta hours before the attack on the Conscience. Flight-tracking data shows that the aircraft flew at low altitude over eastern Malta for an extended period before returning to Israel. The Israeli military has declined to comment.

Evidences of Israeli Military Surveillance Before the Strike

• Drop Site News has confirmed, based on flight and maritime tracking data, that an Israeli military aircraft—a Lockheed C-130 Hercules (Reg. 545)—circled directly around the Conscience, the humanitarian aid ship, several hours before it was struck by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta.

• Using ADS-B flight data, the aircraft was tracked departing Israel on May 1 and flying at a low altitude (around 4,375 feet) over eastern Malta. It conducted multiple tight loops—including directly over Valletta’s harbor—which is considered highly irregular for a transit flight and suggests a surveillance or operational coordination mission.

• During these maneuvers, the C-130 circled directly around the Conscience multiple times as the ship approached Malta at low speed. The aircraft remained in the area for several hours before returning to Israel. This proximity was not previously reported by CNN, which had only noted the plane’s presence 10 hours before the strike.

• The attack on the Conscience occurred at approximately 00:23 local time on May 2, when drone-fired munitions reportedly targeted the ship’s generator, disabling it and leaving a large breach in the hull. The vessel was located 14–17 nautical miles off the Maltese coast, well within international waters.

• A Maltese military source, speaking anonymously to the Times of Malta, described the flight as a violation of Malta’s neutrality, noting that the Israeli military flight was unauthorized over EU territory.

• Israel has not commented on the strike as of this writing.

Context:

This attack occurred concurrently with a war against the Houthis in Yemen, which has been justified by some states as a mission to preserve freedom of navigation.

The targeted ship was carrying humanitarian aid:

While Israel has completely blocked all humanitarian aid—including food, water, medicine, and other basic necessities—from reaching the population of Gaza for over two months, effectively orchestrating starvation in what appears to be a genocidal policy.

While the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is, since April 28, examining Israel's systematic attacks on humanitarian aid and workers in the Gaza Strip.

Israel carried out the drone strike on the humanitarian vessel in international waters, a clear violation of international law.

This incident is reminiscent of the 2010 attack on the Mavi Marmara, another vessel in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, where Israeli forces killed ten activists in international waters. Despite widespread international condemnation, accountability for that incident remains elusive. The lack of consequences may have emboldened further violations of international law.

International law violations

The Israeli drone attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla humanitarian vessel in international waters raises serious concerns under international law. Such an act may constitute a violation of multiple legal frameworks designed to protect humanitarian missions and ensure the freedom of navigation.

1. Violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):

• Article 87: Guarantees the freedom of navigation on the high seas for all states, whether coastal or land-locked. Organisation des Nations Unies
• Article 88: Stipulates that the high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes.
• Article 89: Declares that no state may validly purport to subject any part of the high seas to its sovereignty.

➡ An unprovoked military attack on a civilian humanitarian vessel in international waters contravenes these provisions, undermining the principles of freedom of navigation and the peaceful use of the high seas.

2. Potential War Crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC):

• Article 8(2)(b)(iii): Defines as a war crime the intentional directing of attacks against personnel, installations, material, units, or vehicles involved in a humanitarian assistance mission in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, as long as they are entitled to the protection given to civilians or civilian objects under international law.
• Article 8(2)(b)(i): Prohibits intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities.

➡ If the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was indeed engaged in a humanitarian mission and was attacked without provocation, such an act could be classified as a war crime under these provisions.

3. United Nations Charter

• Article 2(4) of the UN Charter: "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations."

➡ Unlawful use of force in international waters, especially against a non-combatant, non-state humanitarian mission, violates the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes and non-aggression.

4. Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols

• Protocol I (1977) Additional to the Geneva Conventions, Article 70(1): "Relief actions which are humanitarian and impartial in character and conducted without any adverse distinction shall be undertaken... subject to the agreement of the Parties concerned."

• Article 71(2):"Authorized personnel participating in humanitarian relief actions shall be respected and protected."

➡ Targeting a humanitarian vessel constitutes a violation of protections granted under international humanitarian law to relief missions and personnel.

5. Customary International Law and the Laws of Peace

Under customary international law and the laws of neutrality, which apply in both war and peace: Attacks against neutral vessels—particularly those engaged in humanitarian aid—are prohibited unless they are actively taking part in hostilities or carrying contraband.

➡ A humanitarian vessel, carrying no weapons or military personnel, and operating in international waters, enjoys protected status. An attack violates both the laws of peace and neutrality.

Conclusion:

If the Israeli drone attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla’s humanitarian ship in international waters is confirmed by an independant investigation, it would constitute a violation of multiple core pillars of international law:

• UN Charter (Art. 2(4)) – Prohibition of force
• Geneva Conventions (Protocol I, Arts. 70–71) – Protection of humanitarian missions
• Rome Statute (Art. 8) – War crimes
• UNCLOS (Arts. 87–89) – Freedom and peaceful use of the high seas
• Customary international law – Neutrality and protection of humanitarian efforts

➡ Such an act would not only be illegal but could amount to a war crime prosecutable before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Condemnations and call for investigation from experts

The shocking attacks on the Conscience has caused reactions from many academics and experts. Collected below are quotes from prominent figures commenting on the horrific attacks:

• Dr Shahd Hammouri, University of Kent

‘We live in an time where ships carrying the most advanced weaponry in the world pass freely, and ships carrying urgent humanitarian aid to a starving population burn. ‘Israel is willing to bomb humanitarian ships to maintain its policy of starving the Palestinian people as a method of warfare.”

– Franscesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian Territories, on X "Emergency: I received a distressed call from the people of the Freedom Flotilla that is carrying essential food and medicine to the starving Gaza population. I call on concerned state authorities, including maritime authorities, to support the ship and its crew as needed. I trust the competent authorities will also ascertain the facts and intervene appropriately."

– Itamar Mann, Associate Professor at the University of Haifa

“Assuming, as appears to be the case, that the attack is attributable to Israel, it signals a clear violation of the right to life, as well as a war crime. It is only lucky that the measure has not claimed lives. The location of the attack in international waters proximate to Malta, requires urgent investigation and accountability. I expect maritime safety authorities too to reexamine their relations with Israel, due to the violation of the freedom of navigation, and the risk imposed upon the seafaring community in the Mediterranean.”.

– Lamis Deek, Attorney, PAL Law Commission

“This was an attack on Europe, on Malta, on unarmed civilians and the very idea of laws for peace- and this was not an accident- it was a warning shot and open threat against all people and States- a calculated sinister act of state terrorism. It is a violation of the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute, the Law of the Sea, and the laws of peace. Today’s attack proves that Israel sees every attempt to save Palestinian life from total annihilation as an existential threat to its genocidal project- and wage war against the whole world to preserve it.

We call on every State, every union of States, every people and every principled institution globally to rise and condemn this act and to support the rebuilding and sailing of the Flotilla at the earliest time possible. We demand that Europe, the African Union, ASEAN, Latin American States, and the Arab world assert their sovereignty- and humanity- by refusing to be intimidated into silence and complicity with lawlessness. We demand a full international investigation under the auspices of the United Nations. We demand that Malta and all coastal States take immediate protective measures. And, we call on all States to invoke universal jurisdiction, to enact arms embargoes, suspend treaties, and stop their diplomatic cover and complicity with this barbaric and rogue regime. Otherwise the bloodshed will not stop in Gaza; and it will not stop with the Flotilla. Either Israel is stopped- or the whole world will bleed at the altar of Israeli genocidal fascism.”