In the early hours (Beirut time) of Friday, May 2nd, Israeli drone strikes hit a Gaza aid ship from the “Freedom Flotilla”. The vessel was carrying humanitarian supplies for the besieged enclave when it was attacked in international waters near Malta. All 30 humanitarian workers abandoned the stricken ship after it caught fire.
The attacks stirred international upheaval, once again, over the impunity with which Israel has been striking at civilians, not just in Gaza, Lebanon or Syria, but now even in Europe. While regional powers and resistance organisations opposed the Israeli attack, the European Union and the US, which have been supporting Tel Aviv’s military endeavours, remained mum.
Israeli drone strikes targeting Gaza aid ship ‘Freedom Flotilla’ unfold
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international non-governmental group, published video footage of the Israeli drone strikes targeting the Gaza humanitarian aid ship, Freedom Flotilla. The video shot in the dark shows fire engulfing the ship named “Conscience” with bright lights visible in the sky and explosions audible in the background.
According to maritime authorities, the vessel made a mayday call shortly after midnight local time. The Maltese government later confirmed that the ship and its crew were secured after a nearby tug assisted with firefighting operations.
Palestinian resistance groups informed earlier that Cyprus was the first country to respond to the SOS call after Israeli drone strikes hit the Gaza humanitarian aid ship Freedom Flotilla.
Turkish officials reported that their nationals were aboard when Israeli drone strikes hit the Gaza aid ship, Freedom Flotilla. Turkey condemned the attack “in the strongest terms” and promised to work toward bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has been quoted by news agency Reuters as saying that she was in Malta and had planned to board the ship as part of the Freedom Flotilla’s mission to break the Gaza blockade.
Reuters further informed that the Israeli authorities did not respond to requests for comment about the drone strikes targeting the Gaza humanitarian aid ship Freedom Flotilla.
‘Piracy and organised state terrorism’
Palestinian resistance group Hamas described the Israeli drone strikes on the Gaza aid ship Freedom Flotilla as “piracy and organised state terrorism”. The Palestinian group held Israel “fully responsible for the ship and crew’s safety” while praising the flotilla’s efforts to bring aid for the entrapped Gazans.
In its statement, Hamas called specifically on the UN Security Council to intervene and hold Israeli leaders accountable for what it termed “crimes against humanity”. The resistance group framed the Israeli attack as part of a broader pattern of violations.
Similarly, the Mujahideen Movement characterised the incident as a “new terrorist crime” that “threatens global stability and peace.” They urged “the free people of the world” to continue efforts to break the siege on Gaza.
Following the same line, the Ahrar Movement condemned both the “brutal aggression” and what it called “repugnant and unjustified international silence”. Their statement asserted that Israel employs “starvation as a means of killing” and acts as though it is “above the law”.
‘A rogue, criminal entity’
The Popular Resistance Committees used particularly strong language following Israeli drone strikes on the Gaza aid ship Freedom Flotilla. They described Israel as a “rogue, criminal entity devoid of all human qualities” and “an enemy to all of humanity”.
Their statement explicitly linked the attack to “American cover, support, and encouragement.” They urged the international community to “awaken from its slumber, rise up, and deter the entity”.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad interpreted the Israeli drone strikes on the Gaza humanitarian aid ship named Freedom Flotilla as a “new proof of the enemy’s use of starvation as a weapon” in what they term a “genocide” in Gaza. They characterised it as a “blatant mockery of international laws and norms”, including decisions by the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
Meanwhile, the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) drew parallels to the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli forces killed ten activists on a similar flotilla. The PFLP suggested the attack reflects “the zionist entity’s horror of growing global solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
“This aggression proves once again that this rogue occupation does not respect any international resolutions, benefiting from American political and military cover and the continued Western bias in its crimes against our people and the free people of the world. We hold the Zionist enemy fully responsible for endangering the lives of international volunteers and solidarity workers, and for any disaster that may befall the ship. We warn against international complacency regarding this crime, which represents a blatant assault on universal human values,” the PFLP further said.
Earlier, Palestinian solidarity groups in the West and in India have complained about pro-Zionist attacks on their protest movements at the behest of Tel Aviv.
Calls for international action
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition demanded accountability following Israeli drone strikes on the Gaza aid ship. “Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters,” the group said.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of Israel’s renewed aggression in Gaza. Israel violated a January 2025 ceasefire deal between itself and Hamas by re-launching attacks on Gaza’s civilians from March 18th onwards. Israel has broken the ceasefire deals with Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah at the same time by launching an attack on civilians in both places.
Amid the aggression, the Marxist-Leninist PFLP called for “large freedom convoys from various continents to break the siege on Gaza” and urged “the free peoples of the world to escalate their pressure and boycott” Israel. They emphasised that Israel “does not respect any international resolutions, working under continuous Western cover”.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah also weighed in, describing the attack as a “flagrant violation of international laws, norms, and humanitarian values”. Their statement claimed this crime “would not have occurred without the blatant American support for this temporary entity, the shameful international complicity, and the shameful Arab silence regarding the war of genocide.”
The Israeli drone strikes on the Gaza aid ship Freedom Flotilla come as humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. According to the UN, the majority of Gaza’s 2.3m residents face acute food insecurity. The Freedom Flotilla represents one of several international attempts to deliver aid despite the Israeli naval blockade.
