A humanitarian ship intended for Gaza says it has been targeted by Israeli drones – Liberation

Two Israeli armed drones targeted a humanitarian boat on Friday May 2 shortly after midnight, militants of The Freedom Flotillathe NGO owner of the ship. This boat, Consciousness, made a sail to Gaza in order to « challenge The illegal and murderer of Gaza imposed by Israel ”, informs a organization of the organization. The ship was preparing to dock in Malta, where it was to recover passengers, « of which Greta Thunberg« , affirms Release The spokesperson in France of the Freedom Flotilla, Claude Léostic. Greta Thunberg herself confirmed that she had to embark on the Reuters agency.

Drone attacks caused a fire, pierced the boat hull and caused a power outage, militants said. None of the 30 passengers were injured. The Israeli army has not reacted for the moment. The NGO has published video images on social networks, filmed in the dark, showing a fire on consciousnessas well as lights in the sky, on a background of explosion noise.

The boat was to deliver a number of products in the Gaza Strip, where No humanitarian aid has been able to enter for two months. On board, « There were medical equipment, preserves and other dry products, health products, lists the spokesperson. Irish schoolchildren had also carried out a campaign to deliver soccer balls to the little Gazaouis. They will never arrive at their destination. ”

The association’s press release says that after the launch of a distress signal, Cyprus and Italy each sent a ship to the scene. The Maltese government said the ship and its crew had been safe in the early morning, after a tug that was nearby participated in fire -fighting operations.

The boat would have been attacked despite international law since it was on the high seas. « This is not the first time that one of our boats has been targeted by Israel when we are in international waters », underlines Claude Léostic.

In 2010, the Hebrew state army launched A deadly assault against a ship of an international flotilla Humanitarian aid from Türkiye to try to break the Israeli blockade imposed in Gaza, which left ten dead and 28 injured among the activists.

The Freedom Flotilla still intends to continue its actions and try to join Gaza. « We will take the sea until the states are responsible for horrors », says Claude Léostic. This will echoes alerts from other NGOs. Among them, The Red Cross warns this same Friday on the fact that humanitarian operations in Gaza are « On the verge of total collapse ». The World Health Organization qualified Thursday « Abomination » The situation in the Palestinian territory, expressing its anger at the inaction to rescue its population.