Iran Condemns ‘israel’s’ Assault on Gaza Aid Ship Near Malta

In a statement issued on Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the drone attack, labeling it as “a flagrant crime against the Palestinian people and an act of terrorism compromising maritime security and safety.”

A vessel from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, named the Conscience, was reportedly targeted by an Israeli drone strike in international waters close to Malta. The incident occurred as the vessel was on a mission to deliver humanitarian aid to the blockaded Palestinian region. The attack led to an explosion and subsequent fire on the ship.

The Maltese government has announced that a fire on a vessel has been contained, reporting that there were 16 individuals on board at the time. However, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has contested these figures, claiming that 30 people were present when the ship was attacked. The coalition further noted that a distress signal had been sent from the vessel.

Baghaei condemned the assault as an element of a broader genocidal and colonial strategy targeting the Palestinian population. He emphasized that the attack aims to perpetuate the blockade on essential food and medical supplies for the residents of Gaza.

He stated that the Israeli authorities persist in their actions in Gaza, utilizing aerial bombardments and contributing to severe humanitarian conditions in the area.

The spokesman underscored that denying food, water, and medicine to wounded, ill, and grieving children and women in Gaza constitutes a blatant example of a war crime and a crime against humanity.

He noted that the blockade represents a violation of the principles outlined in international humanitarian law.

He stated that the United States, along with other backers of the Israeli regime, are complicit in this crime.

Baghaei conveyed Iran’s solidarity with the Palestinian people facing hardship in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Iran has urged the international community and Muslim nations to strongly denounce Israel’s actions and take steps to ensure accountability for the regime’s officials, with a view to prosecuting and punishing those responsible, the spokesperson emphasized.

In March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prohibited aid deliveries to Gaza, stating that the decision aimed to pressure the Palestinian resistance group Hamas into agreeing to extend the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement that had been violated by Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that there are currently no plans to facilitate the entry of supplies into the Gaza Strip. He further emphasized that the government will not permit the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, underscoring that the restriction of food is being employed as a means of exerting pressure on Hamas.

Israel has imposed a prolonged blockade on the Gaza Strip, preventing the entry of essential supplies such as food and medicine for several weeks.

Humanitarian organizations have expressed alarm over the potential onset of a severe famine in the besieged Palestinian region.