Silence and Smoke: Who Attacked the Aid Ship?

Targeted by Drone

Early Friday morning, the aid ship Conscience was struck by a drone in international waters near Malta. On board were 16 people – 12 crew members and four civilians – on a mission to deliver food and medicine to Gaza. Authorities confirmed a fire broke out but was quickly brought under control. No injuries were reported, and no one on board chose to abandon the ship, despite the flames and blackout.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the mission, accused Israel of carrying out the attack. The group released footage capturing the sound of explosions and showing parts of the ship engulfed in flames. However, they have not presented concrete evidence, and the Israeli military has not commented on the incident.

Only Silence – and Suspicion

Activist Charlie Andreasson stated that those on board heard two explosions just before the power went out and the fire began. The ship’s generator was destroyed, and a large breach appeared in the hull. Images released by Cypriot authorities show visible damage. The Conscience had departed from the Tunisian port of Bizerte and had just reached the area where the strike occurred shortly after midnight.

The incident echoes the deadly 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara, where nine activists were killed by Israeli forces during a similar mission to Gaza.

A Crisis in Freefall

Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza are spiraling. Since March, Israel has enforced a complete blockade, halting the entry of essential supplies. The blockade aims to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages from the October 7th attack.

The Red Cross now warns that its operations in Gaza are on the brink of collapse:

“Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further into chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to mitigate,” the organization stated.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 52,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed in the Israeli offensive. On the Israeli side, 850 soldiers have died.

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