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Hunger successful Gaza reaches near-catastrophic levels
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition run radical said Friday that 1 of its ships bound for the Gaza Strip, carrying assistance and dozens of activists, was attacked successful planetary waters by drones successful the mediate of the nighttime disconnected Malta, causing superior harm to the vessel. The group, which has campaigned against Israel's blockade of the war-torn Palestinian territory and tried for years to scope it with boats carrying humanitarian aid, did not study immoderate casualties, and Maltese officials said a occurrence connected the vas had been brought nether control.
The Reuters quality bureau cited Malta's authorities arsenic saying successful a connection that the occurrence was retired but the vessel was inactive being monitored by applicable authorities.
The Freedom Flotilla said successful an earlier societal media station that the ship's hull had been breached and it was taking connected water, prompting the unit to contented a distress call. There were astir 30 activists connected committee the vessel, the enactment said. Nighttime photos and video shared by the radical showed what it said was a occurrence toward the beforehand of a vessel.
An representation from video shared connected societal media by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition run radical connected May 2, 2025, shows what it said was the aftermath of a drone onslaught connected 1 of its vessels successful planetary waters adjacent Malta.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition/X
The radical did not instantly property the drone onslaught to immoderate federation oregon group, and determination were nary claims of work issued.
Israeli forces person antecedently boarded and seized Freedom Flotilla vessels to forestall them from breaching the Gaza blockade, including a raid connected a vessel successful 2010 that near astatine slightest 9 activists dead.
CBS News asked the Israel Defense Forces connected Friday if it carried retired immoderate cognition involving the Freedom Flotilla vessel adjacent Malta. There was nary contiguous effect from the IDF.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur connected the Palestinian territories, said successful a societal media station connected Friday that she had "received a distressed telephone from the radical of the Freedom Flotilla that is carrying indispensable nutrient and medicine to the starving Gaza population. I telephone connected acrophobic authorities authorities, including maritime authorities, to enactment the vessel and its unit arsenic needed. I spot the competent authorities volition besides ascertain the facts and intervene appropriately."
Aid organizations person condemned Israel's blockade, which, since the extremity of March, has been strictly enforced to forestall immoderate goods entering the Palestinian territory, including humanitarian supplies that assistance workers accidental are desperately needed successful the enclave. Much of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed during the warfare sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, violent onslaught connected Israel, which has besides killed much than 52,000 radical according to wellness officials successful the Hamas-run territory.
Hamas and allied groups killed immoderate 1,200 radical successful confederate Israel successful the 2023 onslaught and took 251 others arsenic hostages backmost into Gaza, according to Israeli officials, who've said arsenic galore arsenic 24 of the captives could inactive beryllium alive.
In its statement, reported by Reuters, Malta's authorities said each those aboard the Freedom Flotilla vas had been "confirmed safe."
"The vas had 12 unit members connected committee and 4 civilian passengers; nary casualties were reported," the connection said, adding that a adjacent tug had been directed to assistance the vessel. "The tug arrived connected country and began firefighting operations. By 1:28 a.m. (2328 GMT Thursday), the occurrence was reported nether control. An Armed Forces of Malta patrol vas was besides dispatched to supply further assistance."
"By 2:13 a.m., each unit were confirmed harmless but refused to committee the tug ... The vessel remains extracurricular territorial waters and is being monitored by the competent authorities."
It was not instantly wide wherefore the activistic radical had reported astir doubly arsenic galore radical being connected the vas arsenic the Maltese authorities.
The Freedom Flotilla describes itself arsenic a "solidarity question composed of campaigns and initiatives from antithetic parts of the world, moving unneurotic to extremity the amerciable Israeli blockade of Gaza."
Among its goals with the defiant sailings to Gaza, the enactment says it aims to "condemn and publicize the complicity of different governments and planetary actors successful enabling the blockade," including, "most notably, the US government," which it says "has underwritten Israel's unit against Palestinians for decades."
Tucker Reals is CBSNews.com's overseas editor, based successful the CBS News London bureau. He has worked for CBS News since 2006, anterior to which helium worked for The Associated Press successful Washington, D.C., and London.
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