Freedom Flotilla Under Attack: Malta Accused of Complicity as Israel Targets Aid Ship to Gaza

Watan-The Israeli targeting of the Freedom Flotilla ship on May 2, en route to break the siege on Gaza, is part of the broader context of the ongoing genocidal war against the Strip since October 2023. This includes Israel’s starvation policy implemented since March 2, by closing all crossings and halting the entry of humanitarian aid and goods, a strategy openly supported by Israeli officials and ministers.

Despite urgent pleas from flotilla organizers and activists, the damaged vessel Al-Amal (The Conscience) has remained stranded in international waters off the coast of Malta for over a week. The Maltese government has refused to allow it to dock for repairs, raising fears of another Israeli strike.

Palestinian-American human rights lawyer and flotilla organizer Huwaida Arraf accused Israel of pressuring Malta to block the ship. She called for a full investigation into Malta’s potential complicity, especially whether it had foreknowledge of the Israeli attack.

“It is disgraceful and horrifying,” Arraf said, “that countries around the world are watching as Israel starves an entire people to death.”

Malta’s Inaction

Arraf recounted that Malta failed to respond to distress calls after the attack. The ship’s captain sent out SOS messages, but only Cyprus responded, though it couldn’t provide adequate help. Eventually, a regional tugboat assisted in extinguishing the fire aboard the ship.

Turkey evacuated six Turkish activists via its embassy in Malta, but 12 crew members remain aboard, waiting for Maltese authorization to dock. Malta has offered to evacuate the crew—but flotilla organizers refused, knowing the vessel would be abandoned and risk seizure.

Arraf criticized Malta’s offer to carry out repairs in international waters as a “charade,” pointing out that the ship cannot be fixed at sea, especially given current wave conditions. She emphasized that real help would mean allowing the ship to dock safely.

Continued Determination to Reach Gaza

Roughly 70 activists from 21 countries remain in Malta undergoing training, originally meant to join the flotilla. The Israeli strike has delayed their plans indefinitely, as the sole vessel is now inoperable. Arraf lamented that “all Mediterranean countries are obstructing our efforts”, choosing instead to comply with Israel’s illegal and deadly blockade.

She stated:

“It is unquestionably a war crime to starve a civilian population as a tool of war. Yet the world, especially the U.S. and Europe, remains complicit in this genocide.”

Arraf also rebuked Arab and Islamic governments for their inaction:

“These states could do something if united. Their silence is criminal, and history will not forgive them.”

She warned that the damage caused by starvation extends far beyond the dead—it affects children’s bodies, minds, and futures irreparably.

Legal Accountability and ICC Action

Despite past failures, the flotilla coalition insists on using every legal means to hold Israel accountable. Complaints have been submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and flotilla representatives have addressed the European Parliament, calling for immediate action to lift the siege and investigate the attack.

Lawyer Farouk Al-Maghrabi emphasized that arrest warrants sought by the ICC against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are based on starvation tactics, considered war crimes. He outlined additional legal routes, including:

• Submitting documentation to the ICC

• Engaging with the UN’s Independent Commission of Inquiry on Palestine

• Filing universal jurisdiction lawsuits in European or Asian courts

Al-Maghrabi stressed that Israel’s assault on the aid ship violates key international treaties, including the Rome Statute and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Freedom Flotilla has launched a global petition demanding an independent investigation and the immediate lifting of the blockade on Gaza, urging citizens to pressure their governments to condemn Israel’s unprecedented attack.