Gaza-bound aid ship catches fire after alleged drone attack

05/04/2025 / By Laura Harris

A humanitarian vessel (The Conscience) bound for Gaza was struck twice by alleged Israeli drones in international waters on May 2, disabling the ship and leaving it at risk of sinking. No casualties were reported.
The ship, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), had planned to transport activists (including Greta Thunberg and a retired U.S. colonel) to deliver aid to Gaza. Neither was onboard during the attack.
Israel’s blockade has severely restricted aid, with only six trucks entering Gaza recently, far below the needs of 1.4 million displaced civilians. The WFP reports empty warehouses and hospitals face critical shortages of medicine and supplies.
The FFC accused Israel of violating international law by attacking a civilian vessel. The Red Cross warned that without immediate aid, Gaza’s humanitarian collapse will worsen.
The FFC had imposed a media blackout to prevent interference, but the ship was still targeted. Israel has not commented on the incident.

A humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza was struck by alleged Israeli armed drones in international waters early Friday, May 2, leaving the vessel disabled and at risk of sinking.

Late in April, The Conscience, a vessel operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), departed from Tunisia en route to pick up activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunbergand retired U.S. Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright, before continuing to Gaza – over 1,000 miles away. Neither was onboard during the incident. Thunberg, who was in Malta at the time, confirmed that she had been scheduled to join the mission.

However, the group disclosed that the vessel was attacked twice by drones shortly after midnight (Malta time). The strikes reportedly caused a fire and a “substantial breach” in the hull, disabling the generator and cutting power of the ship. Images shared by the coalition showed flames engulfing the vessel and two explosions.

“There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking,” Yasemin Acar, the coalition press officer, told CNN via phone call from Malta on Friday. “Our vessel is 17 kilometers off the shores of Malta right now in international waters, and they have been subjected to a drone attack twice,” said Acar, adding that the generators at the front of the vessel were the apparent target.

Malta’s government confirmed that the 68-foot-long ship had 16 people aboard, including 12 crew members and four passengers were safe, with no reported injuries. The Armed Forces of Malta confirmed the fire was extinguished and that all individuals were safe. A tugboat was dispatched to assist, but the crew refused to board it, instead accepting help to combat the fire internally.

The FFC later disclosed that it imposed a media blackout on the mission to prevent potential sabotage, but it was still attacked.

Now that Israel has imposed a full humanitarian blockade of Gaza since March 2, dire conditions for a population grappling with catastrophic hunger, dehydration and collapsing healthcare have only been exacerbated. Food, medical supplies and other aid to the more than two million Palestinians who live in the territory were cut off.

ICRC: Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further into chaos

The World Food Program (WFP) reported that its warehouses in Gaza are now empty. The few soup kitchens still functioning are severely rationing their dwindling supplies but with supermarkets stripped bare, bakeries bombed or shuttered and markets selling scarce food at exorbitant prices, Israel is waging a deliberate ‘war of starvation’ against Gaza’s civilians.”

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that without immediate aid deliveries, it will be unable to provide food, medicine and life-saving support for critical programs. “Aid must be allowed to enter Gaza. Hostages must be released. Civilians must be protected,” the ICRC said. “Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further into chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to mitigate.”

Medical workers in Gaza’s few remaining functional hospitals report severe shortages, forcing them to prioritize only the most critical cases. Essential medicines for chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension, are nearly impossible to find. “I don’t know how people are managing. They have lost everything. The displacement continues every day and more people are searching for shelter and whatever they need to survive,” said Amjad Shawa, the director of the Palestinian NGOs Network in Gaza.

In turn, FFC claimed that “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.” However, Israel remains silent. (Related: Aid groups: Israel blocks 83% of food aid to Gaza, triggering severe humanitarian crisis.)

Visit Starvation.news for more stories related to Israel’s “hunger campaign” in Gaza.

Watch this video about innocent children in Gaza getting bombed by Israeli forces.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.