‘Freedom flotilla’ bound for Gaza claims it was targeted by a drone

Arab media outlets have blamed Israel for the strike, but provided no evidence.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

“The Freedom Flotilla”, which was bound Gaza to transfer aid, was reportedly hit by a drone off the coast of Malta early on Friday.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an anti-Israel group whose stated goal is to transfer aid to Gaza through civilian means, reported that people on the vessel gave the SOS signal.

Arab media outlets have blamed Israel for the strike, but provided no evidence.

The drone strike occurred shortly after midnight, and none of the reported 30 people on board were harmed.

After the strike, the passengers “were confirmed safe but refused to board the tug,” which had come to rescue them, and by 3:45, they were “secure.”

“The ship remains outside territorial waters and is being monitored by the competent authorities,” the statement read.

“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,” the FFC’s spokesperson, Yasemin Acar, told CNN.

Acar claimed that the drones targeted the front generator, creating a hole in the vessel that caused it to start sinking.

An SOS was sent to Malta and other countries, and a ship from Cyprus was arriving to help the flotilla.

The vessel, called the “Conscience,” was heading to Malta to pick up a group of anti-Israel activists before going to Gaza, which is 1,000 miles away.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright were waiting in Malta to board the vessel.

Thunberg told Reuters that the vessel was currently anchored to avoid the risk of flooding.

“If it were to move, too much water would come in and sink,” she said.

“What is certain is that we human rights activists will continue to do everything in our power to do our part.”

Wright told CNN, “We were ready to get on the boat. Anyone could have been on the boat.”

She added, “We didn’t even think that this would happen. It’s the craziest thing in the world. The ship was in an anchor there, waiting for us to come. Who would send drones to bomb a ship that is anchoring off Malta?” Wright said, adding that “this should be a warning to all European countries.”