A boat that transported humanitarian aid for Gaza was attacked Friday by Israel drones in international waters In front of the coast of Malta, the group that organized the shipment denounced, in the last confrontation about the attempts to bring essential supplies to the Palestinian territory in the middle of the Israeli siege.
He Israel government has completely prohibited and blocked food entrywater, medical supplies and any type of humanitarian aid to Gaza since March.
A tugboat that was close responded to the call for help of the Consciencein which the authorities indicated that it declared a fire that was controlled. The ship transported 12 crew and four civiliansaccording to the government of Malta, who added that people on board refused to leave the boat. The group was safe and no serious injuries were reportedhe added.
The Flotilla de la Libertad coalition accused Israel of attacking the boat. The group did not provide evidence of that or that the fire was caused by the drones, but in a video that an explosion can be heard. Another recording showed an active fire.
Israel’s army did not respond at the moment to a request for comments. Israel has prevented the entry of all kinds of supplies into the Gaza Strip Since the beginning of March, including food and medicines, which has plunged the Palestinian territory in which it is presumed to be The worst humanitarian crisis since the beginning of the war 19 months ago.
How was the attack on the fleet of freedom that carries food to Gaza?
Mecid Bagcivan, a Turkey activist who was aboard the conscience, was preparing to sleep when two explosions shook the ship about 2 minutes apart, he said. At first it seemed that there had been a collision. Then, The crew saw fire and realized that it was an attackcontó Bagcivan a The Associated press.
While the crew called Malta to ask for help, Bagcivan said that someone supplanted them in the same channel saying that help was no longer needed. Those who were on board hurried to fight the fire on their own, which caused slight injuries to some of them, he said. The aid came later, and after hours the fire was extinguished.
The ship tried to re -enter Maltese waters for fear of a second attack, according to a crew statement.
“We feel that we are now sure, but we don’t know what Israel is going to do,” Bagcivan said. “We cannot trust anyone in this situation after they bombarded us in the middle of the night.”
Freedom flotilla is stranded by Israel’s attack
A video taken after the explosions showed two large holes on the ship cover, and dense smoke surrounding the boat. The person who recorded the images said the ship had been attacked twice and was on flames about 23 kilometers from Malta. The video was provided by CODEPINK, a peace and social justice movement.
The ship’s generator was seriously damaged and will need to be repaired before continuing, said Charlie Andreason, who has been involved with the Freedom flotilla For more than a decade.
It is not clear where the ship’s ship can stop, said Tighe Barry, a Codepink member who was among a group of activists who took fast boats towards the conscience after the attack. The Maltese authorities rejected the boats, he said, but a person managed to climb on board and spoke with the captain.
Barry said that the nation of Palaos revoked its conscience flag before the attack, and the authorities in Malta, Greece and Türkiye have threatened to confiscate the ship if it arrives in the port. Barry said that The ship is loaded with medicines and food supplies.
“Getting a new flag will take months, so they are simply trapped there,” Barry said on the crew.
Israel totally blocks the passage of food to Gaza and a serious cause humanitarian crisis
Israel says that the siege against the Gaza Strip is to press Hamas to free the hostages captured during the attack of October 7, 2023. Some 1,200 people died that day, and another 251 were taken as hostages. Hamas still has 59 captives, of which it is believed that 24 are still alive.
Hostages that have already been released have asked the Israel government to stop the war in Gaza, since its constant bombings and attacks in the strip cause the death of the captives.
Israel responded with attacks by land and air, and He has murdered more than 52,000 Palestinian people, mostly women, girls and boysaccording to the counting of the Ministry of Health of Gaza. The Israeli military offensive has destroyed large areas of the besieged Palestinian territory and has left the majority of its homeless population.
When an aid flotilla tried to break Gaza’s block in 2010, Israeli forces assaulted The Turkish Mavi Marmara ship And they killed nine people on board.
On Friday, the Conscience was attacked about 26 kilometers from Malta, according to the Fleeta de la Libertad.
Chipriot authorities shared photos that show damage to the Conscience helmet.
The La Libertad Flotilla ship sailed from Tunisia to Gaza
According to the maritime traffic control website Marine Traffic, the Conscience left Bizerto Tuesday port on Tuesday and reached the area where he reported having been attacked on Thursday morning.
Volunteers who had traveled to Malta had to board the ship to go to Gaza, the group said. Andreason said that Greta Thunberg climatic activist had planned to participate. The organization said that Thunberg did not go to the ship and that he was safe.
The 12 crew of the ship are from Türkiye and Azerbaijan, said Medea Benjamin, co -founder of Codepink.
