For the second consecutive day since it was hit by an alleged drone attack on Friday evening, the humanitarian tugboat “Conscience” is being impeded from entering Maltese waters and has not yet been given authorisation to enter a Maltese port, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FCC).

On Saturday, 3 May, an FFC delegation featuring volunteers from 13 different countries attempted to reach Conscience and provide support to all the crew and volunteers still onboard. However, their boats were intercepted by members of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM).

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement that the AFM “not only failed to provide aid to the bombed and damaged Conscience, they forced the delegation to turn back to Malta and go through immigration and customs under threat of arrest.”

“This is the second day in a row where Maltese authorities have blocked FFC access to its ship, crew and participants,” the group stated.

It added that Maltese authorities are blocking the ship’s passage and continuing to deny its entry, in spite of Conscience’s broadcasted urgent SOS distress calls and direct communication with them.

The Coalition continued that the humanitarian vessel has been blocked in international waters, just outside Maltese territory, since it was attacked by two drones in the early morning of Friday. Four individuals onboard sustained minor injuries from these attacks, including burns and cuts, it said.

The FFC has said that the Israeli state is responsible for these attacks, backed by the fact that an Israeli military plane flew just off the border of Maltese airspace, at a low altitude, by Eastern Malta just a mere hours before these drone attacks took place. It flew around Eastern Malta for an extended period before circling back to Israel.

The Israeli military has declined to comment on these allegations thus far.

“Maltese authorities have not given any reason for refusing to allow the ship to dock in its ports nor for preventing volunteers from delivering support,” the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said.

As a result, the FFC is advocating for the international community and humanitarian organisations to demand to Maltese authorities for the tugboat’s immediate safe passage into Maltese waters, so that assistance and protection may be provided to the ship and everyone onboard.

On Saturday evening, the Maltese government said that the crew onboard this vessel had refused to be rescued by Maltese authorities. It described that after offering immediate assistance to put out the fires raging onboard because of the drone attacks, following an emergency call sent out by Conscience, an AFM patrol boat was deployed to assist the vessel and its crew. However, its passengers and crew members refused the offer to be taken safely to land after everyone was confirmed to be safe from the situation.

The Coalition concluded its statement by commenting that under international law, it is illegal for states to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid, and therefore, they should allow the facilitation of relief efforts to civilians in Gaza when possible.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition will be speaking to local media in an emergency press briefing with further details later on this afternoon.