The Alliance of Free Fleets demands Israel’s answers to violations of international law, including blockade and “bombing our civilian ships.”
The Freedom Alliance (FFC), which organizes missions, said a ship carrying Israeli blockade to break Israeli blockade.
The ship is now located 14 nautical miles (25 kilometers) in Malta and is the target of two drone strikes to Gaza, the FFC said in a statement on Friday. The ship has been seeking assistance to the surrounded enclaves, with aid groups warning people to struggle to survive after Israel has been locked down for two months in total.
"The armed drone attacked the front of an unarmed civilian ship twice, causing fires and serious violations in the hull," the group said.
The statement did not directly accuse Israel of the attack.
However, it does require that “the Israeli ambassador must be called and answer violations of international law, including ongoing blockades and bombing our civilian ships in international waters”.
Israel has not commented on the drone strike.
Break: 00:23 Malta time, one #freedomflotilla The ship was attacked by drones. The front of the container was aimed twice, causing a fire and a hole in the hull. The ship is currently located in nearby international waters #malta. one #sos A distress signal has been sent. pic.twitter.com/j6oeqafuob
- Freedom Flotilla Alliance (@gazafflotilla) May 2, 2025
FFC's Nicole Jenes told Al Jazeera that an attack on conscience at 12.23pm local time exploded on Friday morning (10:23 GMT), blowing up a hole in the ship and setting up an engine shooting.
She added that the strike had brought great efforts by 30 Turkish and Asseri activists to rescue the water and make the ships float.
The group said that "a ship in Southern Cyprus" was dispatched after sending a SOS call.
The Malta government said in a statement late Friday that the fire on the ship was under control and that the ship was under surveillance by authorities. It is unclear whether the authorities directly intervened to put out the fire and what happened to the militants.
Jenes, currently in Malta, said the organization was not aware of the situation on the ship due to lost communication with the crew.
"They were hiding in the boat's room because they were afraid of drones...we lost contact with them," she said.
Last year, the FFC, composed of peace activists from several countries, used converted trawlers to resist Israel's blockade on Gaza.
Israel stopped humanitarian aid two months ago, and a ceasefire broke out shortly afterwards and restarted the war against Hamas, which destroyed the Palestinian enclave and killed more than 50,000 people.
"To … understand that this attack is an extension of the genocide that took place in Gaza and cannot be passed without punishment," Janice said, insisting that the FFC demands that the world turn its attention to lockdown.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a report released on Friday that Gaza’s humanitarian response was “on the brink of a complete collapse.”
"Six weeks of intense hostilities, coupled with two months of total blockage, leave civilians without the key points needed to survive. Without immediate recovery of aid, there will be no access to the food, medicine and life-saving supplies needed to maintain their many plans in Gaza," the ICRC said.