Aid Ship Conscience Towed to Misrata for Repairs After Alleged Israeli Drone Attack

The aid ship Conscience, which was allegedly attacked by Israeli drones, is being towed to the Libyan port city of Misrata for repairs. The ship, which was anchored at Hurd Bank just outside Malta's territorial waters, was damaged in the middle of the night, with its bow severely damaged and the vessel disabled. Activists blamed Israel for the attack, which came several hours after an Israeli air force Hercules plane circled over Hurd Bank before returning to base in Israel. The ship, part of the Gaza Flotilla Movement, was on a mission to breach the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

Key Takeaways:

• The Conscience, an aid ship, is being towed to Misrata, Libya for repairs after allegedly being attacked by Israeli drones on May 13.
• The ship was anchored at Hurd Bank, just outside Malta's territorial waters, and was damaged in the middle of the night with its bow severely damaged.
• Activists blame Israel for the attack, which came several hours after an Israeli air force Hercules plane circled over Hurd Bank.
• The ship, part of the Gaza Flotilla Movement, was on a mission to breach the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave.
• Malta refused the ship entry into territorial waters but offered to repair the vessel out at sea.
• The ship had been de-flagged by Palau on the morning of the attack, rendering it stateless.
• The Turkish government acted as a broker to arrange for the ship to be towed to Misrata for repairs.
• Turkey has good relations with the internationally-recognised Libyan administration in Tripoli and maintains a significant military presence in the country.

Statistics:

• The ship, Conscience, is expected to reach Misrata on Monday evening.
• The vessel is being towed by the Italian-flagged tugboat Cala Azzurra.

Sources:

• Shipping industry sources
• Foreign Minister Ian Borg on X (formerly Twitter)
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
• MaltaToday