A ship carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza has been bombed by drones while it was in international waters.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the NGO responsible for the ship, has pointed the finger at Israel.
Video shows fire raging onboard the vessel, which put out an SOS distress call after it was attacked off the coast of Malta.
It comes as the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice continued this week.
Gaza remains under blockade, with Israel having now refused to allow international aid into the devastated enclave for almost two months despite global outcry.
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The hospital Ghena went to for treatment has been destroyed
Following the drone attack, the Maltese government confirmed that after several hours all crew were safe and the fire was under control.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said: “Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade (of Gaza) and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters.”
It asserted that the drone attack “appears to have specifically targeted the ship’s generator” and had left the vessel at risk of sinking.
Describing the attack, it said: “Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull.
A five-year-old boy lies on a bed at Nasser Hospital, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Pic: Reuters
“The last communication in the early morning of the 2nd of May, indicated the drones are still circling the ship.”
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It released video footage shot in the dark that showed lights in the sky in front of the ship and the sound of explosions. The footage also showed the vessel on fire.
The Israeli foreign ministry has not commented on what happened.
Yesterday, UN aid coordinator Tom Fletcher called on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, which has been in force for almost two months.
“Yes, the hostages must be released, now. They should never have been taken from their families,” he said.
“But international law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in.”
Aid should never be a “bargaining chip”, he added.
‘Children going to bed starving’
Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA said: “The siege on Gaza is the silent killer of children, of older people.
“Families – whole families, seven or eight people – are resorting to sharing one can of beans or peas. Imagine not having anything to feed your children. Children in Gaza are going to bed starving.”
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