A vessel attempting to break Israel’s legal naval blockade of Gaza as part of a controversial activist flotilla was reportedly hit by a drone strike in international waters near Malta on 2 May.
The ship “Conscience“, belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition – a group often accused of political staging rather than genuine relief efforts – suffered moderate damage. No one was reportedly injured.
Thunberg accuses Israeli authorities of being behind the attack. In a video, Thunberg says she is currently in Malta, where the boat “Conscience” was on a mission to deliver “desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, after two months of complete siege and blockage of humanitarian aid.” In the same video, she describes the incident:
The ship was attacked, unprovoked, twice by two drones that caused a fire and a hole in the ship, making it impossible to continue the mission. Eighteen people were on board the ship at the time and since then the boat has not been able to dock in Malta (….) Therefore, we are now pressing Malta to give the ship safe access to the harbour, and not seize the ship.
The Swedish activist was reportedly just hours away from boarding the ship, which was located approximately 17 nautical miles off the coast of Malta.
The Israeli government, which maintains a naval blockade to prevent arms smuggling to the Hamas-controlled area, has not yet commented on the attack. In the past, Israeli authorities have expressed concern that such actions are being used to provoke confrontations or weaken Israel’s security.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition claims that Israel is behind the attack, but has provided no evidence.
Greta Thunberg is now 22 years old and has managed to get involved in a number of issues, mostly within left-wing and globalist causes. She became known for her commitment to the climate, but soon moved on to stand on the barricades for anti-capitalism, Black Lives Matter, more covid vaccines, reindeer herding Sami, Norwegian waterways, Palestinians in Gaza, feminism and LGBTQ+.
Sources: Reuters, Freedom Flotilla, Times of Israel.