A ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's mission to break Israel's blockade has reportedly been hit by drone strikes in international waters near Malta, according to posts shared on social media by the organisation on May 2.

According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the vessel was attacked at 00:23 Maltese time, with the front of the ship targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull, as videos uploaded to social media show.

The ship reportedly sent an SOS distress signal while located approximately 14 nautical miles (25km) from Malta.

The FFC claims the attack left 30 Turkish and Azerbaijani humanitarian helpers on board engaged in efforts to bail out water and keep the vessel afloat, Al Jazeera later reported.

The organisation did not directly attribute responsibility for the attack to any specific party, though they called for "Israeli ambassadors to be summoned" regarding the incident.

The Maltese government has reportedly issued a statement indicating that the fire on the ship has been brought under control and that the vessel is being monitored by authorities, though it remains unclear whether Maltese authorities directly intervened or what has happened to the activists on board.

This incident occurs as aid groups continue to warn about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where people are struggling to survive following a prolonged blockade. Tel Aviv halted humanitarian aid to the embattled Gaza exclave two months ago.

Following the suspected drone attack, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg in Malta said, “Attacking a humanitarian mission is a war crime”, following the incident, she said on her social media.

Israel has not commented on the reported drone strikes, neither confirming or denying the incident. 

The FFC is an organisation based solely to support humanitarian activities, formed by several different nationalities.

The suspected drone attack in Maltese waters comes as Israel also conducted a drone strike on the Syrian capital's presidential palace the same evening, IntellliNews previously reported.