"This is a war crime." A representative of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused "Israel or one of its allies" of conducting what the group says was a drone attack on its ship carrying aid to Gaza. The Israeli government has not responded to the allegations.

A ship carrying aid to Gaza in a bid to break Israel's blockade has been hit by drones in international waters off Malta, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the group that organised the mission. The FFC said in a statement on Friday that the vessel, now located 14 nautical miles (25km) from Malta, was the target of two drone strikes while on its way to Gaza. The ship had been seeking to deliver aid to the besieged enclave, where aid groups warn people are struggling to survive following a two-month total blockade by Israel. "Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull," the group said. The statement did not directly accuse Israel of carrying out the attack.

An aid ship heading to Gaza has sent out a distress signal after crew members say it was hit in a drone attack and has caught fire. There are 30 aid workers on board the Freedom Flotilla ship, which was attempting to break Israel's 2-month aid blockade.