Report: Gaza aid convoy attacked near Malta organized by Hamas, planned to confront IDF forces

By Nurit Yohanan

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

2 May 2025, 2:51 pm

Edit

Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent

A Maltese tugboat helps put out a fire onboard the vessel Conscience, sparked by what the ship's operators, the Freedon Flotilla Coalition, said was an Israeli drone strike, in international waters near Malta in the Mediterranean Sea, early May 2, 2025. (Government of Malta)

The Gaza “Freedom Flotilla” ship attacked overnight near Malta had planned to confront Israeli forces and was part of a convoy organized by the Hamas terror group, the Saudi news channel Al Arabiya reports, citing a Western security source.

No further details are provided and there is no further confirmation of these claims. It is possible that the intended meaning is that the ship planned to engage with IDF forces as it approached Gaza.

The ship was being used by an organization claiming to be delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, which accused Israel of conducting the drone strikes. Israel hasn’t commented.