In a statement, the Maltese government confirmed the safety of all passengers on board the Freedom Flotilla which was carrying aid to Gaza 

The Maltese government announced on Friday that the fire that broke out on the Freedom Flotilla ship had been brought under control, explaining that the ship was being monitored by the relevant authorities.

In a statement, the Maltese government confirmed the safety of all passengers on board the Freedom Flotilla, which was carrying aid to Gaza and was attacked by drones in international waters off Malta. The statement read, “There were 12 crew members and four civilian passengers on board, and no injuries were reported.” a nearby tug had been directed to aid the vessel and An Armed Forces of Malta patrol vessel was also dispatched to provide further assistance.”

The Reuters news agency emphasized  the statement of Malta’s government as saying in a statement that the fire was out but the ship was still being monitored by relevant authorities.

Issue a distress call

The Freedom Flotilla said in an earlier social media post that the ship’s hull had been breached and it was taking on water, prompting the crew to issue a distress call. There were about 30 activists on board the vessel, the organization said. Nighttime photos and video shared by the group showed what it said was a fire toward the front of a vessel The group did not immediately attribute the drone attack to any nation or group, and there were no claims of responsibility issued.

Related : Houthis claim they will now limit Red Sea attacks to Israeli ships

CBS News asked

On the other hand CBS News asked the Israel Defense Forces on Friday if it carried out any operation involving the Freedom Flotilla ship near Malta. There was no immediate response from the IDF.Whereas Israeli forces have previously boarded and seized Freedom Flotilla vessels to prevent them from breaching the Gaza blockade, including a raid on a boat in 2010 that left at least nine activists dead.

Describes itself as a “solidarity movement

The Freedom Flotilla describes itself as a “solidarity movement composed of campaigns and initiatives from different parts of the world, working together to end the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.”

Source : Image : CNN

Malta ,The fire ,  Freedom Flotilla , under control , carrying aid ,Gaza , CBS News , solidarity movement