Drone hits Gaza-bound aid ship near Malta: Flotilla Coalition
The ship remains in international waters near Malta and had issued an SOS distress signal.
02 May 2025 04:18pm
A woman looks on as a man inspects the damage on the rubble of a building hit in an Israeli strike in the Bureij camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on May 2, 2025. - (Photo by EYAD BABA / AFP)
ANKARA - A civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was struck in a drone attack early Friday while sailing in international waters near Malta, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
"At 00:23 Maltese time, a Freedom Flotilla ship was subjected to a drone attack. The front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull," the coalition said in a statement.
It added that the ship remains in international waters near Malta and had issued an SOS distress signal.
However, the Maltese government has not responded to the distress call, the coalition claimed.
The coalition urged Malta to fulfil its obligation under international maritime law to protect civilian vessels in distress within its proximity.
The ship was reportedly en route to Gaza, aiming to deliver aid and challenge the ongoing Israeli blockade.
The source of the drone strike has not been confirmed. - BERNAMA
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