UPDATED | Freedom Flotilla Coalition says ship attacked by drone just outside Maltese territorial waters

Updated at 2:25pm with Palestinian ambassador statement

A humanitarian organisation has claimed that its ship with aid for Gaza was attacked by a drone just outside Maltese territorial waters on Friday.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a message on X that the ship was twice attacked by a drone that caused damage to the hull.

However, a claim made by the organisation that the Maltese authorities did not respond to the ship's distress call has been disputed by the Maltese government.

In an official statement on Friday morning, the government confirmed that a distress call was received 20 minutes after midnight and a tugboat close to where the ship was immediately offered assistance. An Armed Forces of Malta patrol boat was also dispatched to the area.

The government said all crew and passengers on board were safe and refused to be brought ashore. The ship continues to be monitored by the Maltese authorities.

A screen grab from a video posted on X by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition showing a fire on board a humanitarian ship the group says was caused by a drone attack just outside Maltese territorial waters (Photo: X)

The flotilla posted a video on X showing a fire burning on a ship, as well as smoke. The sound of two loud explosions can also be heard.

MaltaToday is unable to independently verify the videos.

The alleged attack happened just after midnight local time, in the early hours of Friday, with the organisation saying the ship was taking on water.

Ship tracking website, Marine Traffic, shows the coalition's ship, Conscience, anchored to the east of Malta close to Hurd's Bank, an area used for bunkering purposes.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which is campaigning to end Israel’s blockade of Gaza, said there are 30 people on board its ship, which does not tally with the information the Maltese government says it received from the ship.

The coalition has suggested the alleged attack was perpetrated by an Israeli military drone. The Maltese authorities were unable to verify this claim.

Malta government statement

The Maltese government has disputed claims that it did not offer assistance to the Conscience, insisting that a tugboat with firefighting equipment was on site within minutes.

In a statement on Friday morning, the government released a timeline of events, including a photo of the tugboat spraying water onto the humanitarian ship.

The Conscience, which has remained anchored just outside territorial waters, is being monitored by the authorities.

The timeline provided by the government being reproduced below contradicts the claim that the humanitarian vessel received no assistance:

00:20am (local time): Malta Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) received a Mayday call from the passenger vessel Conscience, reporting a fire on the bow while outside territorial waters. The vessel had 12 crew members on board and 4 civilian passengers; no casualties were reported. The crew confirmed the fire was not under control and requested immediate assistance.

00:21am: A nearby tug located approximately one nautical mile away contacted Malta VTS, confirmed it was equipped with firefighting capabilities and offered immediate support. The tug arrived on scene and began firefighting operations.

1:28am: The fire was reported under control. An Armed Forces of Malta patrol vessel was also dispatched to provide further assistance.

2:13am: All crew were confirmed safe but refused to board the tug. Assistance was provided to support interior firefighting efforts.

3:45am: The vessel and its crew were secure.

Ambassador of Palestine to Malta confirms authorities’ response

In a reaction issued on Friday afternoon, the Ambassador of Palestine to Malta confirmed that Maltese authorities responded to the call at 00:20am regarding the attack, and the Malta Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) sent a firefighting-equipped tug boat which managed to control the fire on the flotilla and secure its crew who remained safe.

Ambassador Hanania is in direct communication with the Maltese authorities and relevant parties to ensure the continued safety and well-being of all individuals onboard. “HE Ambassador Hanania extends the Palestinians deep appreciation to the Government of Malta for its swift response and professional action to this incident which prevented a tragedy from happening,” the embassy said.

The ambassador urged people from all over the glob to help in ending the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and to allow humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian people.