A drone attack, Malta’s vulnerability and Israel’s genocide

The drone attack on the humanitarian vessel Conscience, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, has exposed Malta’s vulnerability to potential threats by ill-meaning actors.

Admittedly, Malta was not the intended target of the attack, which happened in international waters just outside territorial reach. Nonetheless, a civilian ship carrying pro-Palestine activists that was waiting to take humanitarian workers on board from Malta was sabotaged at Hurd’s Bank. The area is a strategic bunkering zone regularly populated by scores of cargo vessels, including oil tankers.

Had the attack accidentally targeted an oil tanker, or indeed, was directed to such a cargo vessel, Malta’s east coast would have potentially suffered the catastrophic consequences of an oil spill. Not only would the tourism industry weep but water production at the Pembroke reverse osmosis plant would have had to stop. It would be a heavy blow to the economy and significantly impact our potable water supply.

The above scenario may be a hypothetical one. But Friday’s drone attack should serve as a cautionary tale that neutrality is no deterrent for those who have no hesitation to carry out bad deeds, whoever they may be.

Indeed, all it would take to deliver a crippling blow is for a handful of precision munition drones to target key infrastructure such as reverse osmosis plants and power plants.

The attack simply underscores the importance of taking Malta’s security and defence seriously—much more than it has until now by this administration. The prime minister’s belittling of the EU plan to strengthen defence and security across the bloc feels immature and premature at this juncture. The brazen attack on the aid ship has exposed Malta’s vulnerability.

There needs to be a strategic review of the Armed Forces of Malta’s defence capabilities to identify the gaps and determine how these could be filled. The AFM and other security agencies should be in a position to carry out proper surveillance of strategic sites and key infrastructure. It should be better equipped to anticipate threats, aggressive actions, terrorist activity and sabotage. It should be in a position to ward off belligerents and where this goes beyond Malta’s limited capabilities be in a position to seek immediate assistance from European allies.

Malta’s defence and security should be a priority in the months and years to come. It would be a shame if the prime minister and his administration continue to treat defence as some sort of political whacking stick to hit out at the opposition rather than something to be dealt with in the most serious way.

If Friday’s attack was carried out by an Israeli military drone as claimed by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition—a very plausible conclusion given the confirmed presence of an Israeli military aircraft circling over Hurd’s Bank just hours before the attack—it would be the second time that Israel has carried out secretive operations to eliminate or harm its perceived foes in and around Malta.

In October 1995, Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Fathi Shqaqi was assassinated by Israeli Mossad agents in Sliema outside the Diplomat Hotel where he was residing. The agents drove by on a motorbike and gunned him down in broad daylight on the pavement before speeding off never to be caught. They gave two hoots about Malta’s neutrality.

It is true that the ship incident happened in international waters thus outside Malta’s jurisdiction but Israeli belligerence not only put the lives of activists and humanitarian aid workers at risk but also put Malta’s interests at risk. A strongly-worded condemnation by the Maltese government is warranted.

Breaking a cruel blockade

The humanitarian ship was preparing to break through Israel’s cruel blockade of Gaza to deliver crucial aid to Palestinians who are already living in a precarious state.

Palestinians in Gaza have suffered a brutal 19-month war Israel has waged in the strip to avenge the 7 October attacks by Hamas.

The impressive death toll in Gaza; the systematic destruction of public infrastructure; the constant targeting of hospitals by Israeli drones; the incessant orders for civilians to shift from one part of the territory to another, sometimes with barely enough notice to avoid bombs and missiles; the brutal Israeli military attacks on humanitarian aid workers and UN staff; the murder of innocent children; the political voices in Israel clamouring for Palestinians to be exiled from Gaza; are nothing more than an attempt at erasing the existence of Palestinians in Gaza. This has by far acceded Israel’s legitimate actions to defend itself; what is now unfolding in front of our very own eyes is a genocide.