Damaged Gaza aid ship arrives in Libyan port of Misurata
The crew were repatriated before the vessel's journey to Libya
A Gaza-bound aid ship reportedly struck by Israeli drones outside Malta earlier this month has been towed to the Libyan port of Misurata.
The Conscience suffered damage to its front section when it was hit by two drones, the NGO Freedom Flotilla Coalition said.
It arrived in Misurata at 8am on Tuesday after being towed to Libyan waters by Italian tugboat Cala Azzurra, according to government sources. The Conscience will undergo repairs.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Ian Borg said the boat would be towed to a “Mediterranean port” without naming the destination, following the repatriation of the 12 crew members onboard, who he said would depart via Malta.
In a post on X, the minister thanked the Turkish government for their “assistance throughout the process”. Sources said arrangements for the Conscience to be towed to Libya had been made by Turkey.
The vessel’s arrival in Misurata appears to mark the end of a saga which saw Malta and the Conscience hit the headlines internationally after activists claimed Israel had been behind the alleged drone attack.
The incident happened as the vessel was on route to Malta to pick up activists including Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright, who were set to join the boat for its attempt to break through the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The Conscience was towed to Libya by the Italian tugboat 'Cala Azzurra'. Photo: Vesselfinder.com/Instagram/gsm63.While Malta later brought to shore six activists who had been onboard the vessel at the time of the suspected attack, activists questioned the country’s treatment of the group.
Turkish nationals disembarked from the vessel said in a video posted online by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, "there were really some strange things going on" and, "We were the ones who get (sic) bombed but they are acting like we are the ones who bombed someone".
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is preparing for a renewed maritime mission to deliver aid to Gaza. The group has called for an independent UN forensic survey of the damage, arguing "transparency is vital".