Activist ship heading to Gaza 'attacked by drones' near Malta

Israel has been accused of launching a drone attack on an activist ship heading to Gaza.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition claimed they were preparing to sail to Gaza when their ship was struck by drones in international waters off the coast of Malta.

The ship, known as The Conscience, was allegedly targeted on Friday at 12:23am local time, when they emitted an SOS signal immediately after, which was responded to by Cyprus, who dispatched a vessel.

A fire on board the ship occurred and "was brought under control overnight by 1:28am local time," the Maltese Government confirmed.

The Maltese government confirmed that everyone on board were safe.

The activists said they were on their way to "challenge Israel's illegal siege and blockade" when the incident happened

Greta Thunberg was among those who planned to board the ship.

She told journalists in Valetta that "the voyage towards Gaza is one of many attempts to open up a humanitarian corridor and to do our part to keep trying to break Israel's illegal siege on Gaza".

Two months ago, all crossings to Gaza were eliminated by Israel, alongside them resuming their military offensive, ending their two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

Since then, all goods including food, fuel and medicines have been prohibited from entering.

Now, charities warn that Gazans face starvation, as kitchens warn food will run out in days after two months of the Israeli blockade.

The World Food Programme said it has already run out of food, while community kitchens say their stocks are dwindling fast - a huge cause for concern as thousands of Gazans rely on the remaining kitchens for nourishment.

"We used to receive more than 100 trucks every week of food parcels and hygiene kits. Now we don't have anything," Sami Matar, leader of the American Near East Refugee Aid, which runs a community kitchen, says as he shows a local BBC journalist around their vast, empty warehouse.

Israel's blockade of Gaza is also facing mounting backlash, with just last month the UK, French and German foreign ministers described the Israeli decision to block aid as "intolerable," which was rejected by the Israeli foreign ministry.

These growing international pressures on Israel warns that the starving of these civilians is a potential war crime, with the UN urging that Israel has a clear obligation under international law as an occupying power to allow and facilitate aid for Gazans.

The NGO has called for answers to the "violation of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel," for Israeli ambassadors to answer.

Israel has stated that this blockade is an aim to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages it still detains and to disarm.

October 7 2023 marks the day the war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, abducting 251 people and holding them hostage.

Around 59 hostages still remain in Hamas's custody, with 24 believed to be alive.

The Israeli military has since said it was looking into reports of the attack on the ship.