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A humanitarian aid ship operated by the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has issued a distress signal after what the organization claims was a drone attack in international waters off the coast of Malta, early Friday morning.
According to the coalition, the vessel—named Conscience—is carrying 30 international human rights activists and humanitarian supplies bound for Gaza when it was reportedly targeted around 00:23 local time.
"There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking," said Turkish activist Yasemin Acar, the FFC's press officer, in a phone interview with CNN from Malta.
She said the SOS call was sent to surrounding countries, including Malta and Cyprus, and confirmed that a "small boat" had been dispatched from southern Cyprus to assist.
The group later stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the front of the ship had been struck twice, causing a fire and damaging the hull. The drone attack reportedly targeted the vessel's generators, although they were not supplying power at the time of the incident.
BREAKING: At 00:23 Maltese time, a #FreedomFlotilla 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 ship is currently located in international waters near #Malta. An #SOS distress signal was sent. pic.twitter.com/J6oEQafuOb
— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) May 2, 2025
"We have 30 international human rights activists on that vessel at this very moment on a vessel that is sinking," Acar added.
CCTV footage showing vessel after the reported attack on 2 May, 2025. (Video via Handout/ Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition)
The coalition posted videos on its official X account, showing fire and smoke aboard the ship, accompanied by the sound of two loud explosions. CNN noted it could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
The vessel, currently situated approximately 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) off Malta’s coast near Hurd's Bank, had reportedly been anchored in the area for about 12 hours before the alleged attack, according to Marine Traffic tracking data.
The Conscience is registered under the flag of Palau and departed from Tunisia on Tuesday night.
Footages from the vessel after the reported attack on 2 May, 2025. (Video via Handout/ Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition)
While the coalition initially claimed that Malta had not responded to the SOS, MaltaToday, citing government sources, reported that Transport Malta had deployed a tugboat and the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) had dispatched a patrol boat to assist with the emergency.
"No one accepted an offer to be brought to shore," the source told MaltaToday, confirming that the ship was located 14 nautical miles off Malta, outside the country’s territorial waters. The Times of Malta also reported that no injuries had been confirmed.
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While the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has suggested that the drone strike may have been carried out by the Israeli military, no official attribution has been made.
In a separate exclusive statement to Türkiye Today, Acar added, "The ship was bombed twice by drones, likely by Israel or its allied states, while in international waters. This is clearly a war crime."
She noted that nine hours had passed since the attack without any assistance from Italy or Malta, though the latest information indicated that the Maltese military had agreed to help tow the ship to shore. "There have been no fatalities or injuries reported following the attack," Acar confirmed.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition describes itself as a network of 12 international pro-Palestinian organizations aiming to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid via non-violent direct action.
In 2010, a previous Turkish flotilla mission ended in tragedy when 10 activists were killed in an Israeli raid.
In May 2010, six international NGOs (IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, Free Gaza Movement, European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza, Ship to Gaza (Greece), Ship to Gaza (Sweden), and the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza) organized an aid Flotilla to transport 6000 tons of humanitarian aid obtained as donations to Gaza.
In addition to humanitarian aid, the Flotilla was also carrying 750 aid workers and supporters.
On May 31, 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla comprising of the Mavi Marmara, Sfendoni, Challenger I, Eleftheri Mesogios, Gazza I and Defne Y vessels, departed with the aim of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza but were confronted with an raid and intervention by Israeli military forces.
The vessels were only carrying humanitarian aid and aid workers. During this attack and in its aftermath, 10 humanitarian aid workers lost their lives and 56 were severely injured. Nine of the 10 were brutally killed during the attack, and the 10th victim died after spending a prolonged period in a coma.
The current voyage had planned to stop in Malta on Thursday to take on more passengers, according to Thiago Avila, the flotilla’s lead organizer. He told CNN that efforts are underway to send another small boat to support rescue efforts near the Conscience.
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