In the early hours of Friday, a vessel bound for Gaza caught fire off the coast of Malta, prompting a swift response from local maritime authorities. The ship, Conscience, issued a Mayday call at 00:20 local time, reporting an uncontrolled fire on its bow while still in international waters. Onboard were 12 crew members and four civilian passengers. No casualties were reported.

A firefighting-equipped tug, located just one nautical mile away, immediately offered support and arrived on scene within minutes. By 01:28, the fire was brought under control. The Armed Forces of Malta also dispatched a patrol vessel to assist. All crew members were confirmed safe by 02:13, although they declined to board the tug. Firefighting efforts continued internally, and by 03:45, the situation was declared secure. The vessel remains outside Maltese territorial waters and is under ongoing monitoring by Maltese authorities.

However, the incident has taken a dramatic turn. The ship is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an international campaign aiming to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza. The group claims the fire was caused by an Israeli drone strike—a serious allegation that, if confirmed, could escalate tensions in the region.

“There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking,” Yasemin Acar, FFC’s press officer, told CNN by phone from Malta.

The vessel had been en route to Malta to pick up more activists—including climate icon Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright—before heading to Gaza. Neither was onboard at the time of the incident.

According to FFC, volunteers from over 21 countries were set to join the mission in Malta. The group continues to assert that the fire was a result of a targeted attack, though official investigations into the cause are ongoing.

#MaltaDaily