ANKARA

A ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza which was attacked by drones in international waters off Malta early Friday remains anchored in international waters while awaiting permission to dock, according to an aid official aboard.

The ship was secured in the early hours of the morning after a nearby tug assisted with firefighting operations.

According to a CNN report citing flight-tracking data, an Israeli military aircraft was flying over Malta hours before the ship was attacked by a drone.

Ismail Songur, head of the Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association and a passenger on the ship, told Anadolu that the vessel of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition had departed from Tunisia with plans to collect activists in Malta before heading toward Gaza.

“Our aim was to raise awareness in European ports, coordinate with other ships, and increase pressure on Egypt to allow aid access to Gaza," Songur said. He noted that the vessel is currently anchored 12 nautical miles off Malta and that volunteers from more than 20 countries are waiting to board.

Among them are journalists, doctors, and humanitarian workers.

Songur said the ship was attacked around 12:15 a.m. local time, with a powerful jolt that felt like a collision.

“When we rushed to the deck, we saw a large fire. At that moment, a drone flew over us, and a second explosion occurred,” he said. “We experienced a fire that lasted nearly four hours. The ship narrowly avoided sinking.”

He said communications were cut shortly after the incident. Despite backup systems onboard, internet access was blocked, and distress calls made over radio frequencies were reportedly overridden by a false signal claiming no help was needed.

This delayed the arrival of emergency crews, Songur said, who reached the vessel only hours later.

The team is now collecting debris from the deck that they believe may be remnants of explosives.

“We’re preparing to present this evidence to international courts,” he said, adding that serious damage occurred in the engine room and that water has leaked into fuel tanks.

Evacuation refused

Songur said firefighters initially refused to intervene unless the ship was fully evacuated, but those onboard declined.

“We told them the fire was in the front of the ship, and we had emergency boats on both sides. According to international procedures, if we evacuated, control of the ship could be taken from us, and they could have sunk it,” he said.

He said firefighting efforts were delayed by more than an hour and that video evidence of the incident exists. However, Israeli media reported a different version of the events and suggested the attack was premeditated, Songur added.

“There was a plan to force us off the ship, possibly to sink it or sabotage it,” he said.

'This attack was not only against us, but against all humanity'

Songur criticized the Maltese government for a delayed response despite the vessel’s certification and repeated SOS signals.

“The coast guard only responded 10 hours after the incident,” he said.

He also cited preliminary findings that a C-130 military aircraft flew from Tel Aviv to Malta six to eight hours before the explosion and that fast boats may have approached the vessel during that time.

“This attack was not only against us, but against all humanity,” he said. “It was also an attack on Turkish engineering. Eleven Turks are currently on board—five crew members and six civilian aid workers.”

Songur said the ship is still in international waters near Malta, under surveillance by coast guard boats, and is not permitted to move. He urged Maltese authorities to allow the vessel to dock for urgent repairs.

“This ship cannot continue in its current condition,” he said.