The government has banned entry to Maltese waters of a merchant vessel believed to be carrying explosives and bound for Israel.

A government spokesman confirmed the ban after Moviment Graffitti said that allowing the MV Kathrin into Malta would make the government complicit in the ongoing 'genocide' in Palestine.

A government spokesman said the ship's owners had requested a stoppage in Malta for a crew change, but the request had been turned down. The ship will also not be allowed to bunker.

Graffitti pointed out that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, had said that the MV Kathrin was believed to be carrying eight containers of RDX Hexogen explosives,  key components for the manufacture of bombs and missiles being used by Israel.

The ship was off the eastern coast of Sicily late on Sunday. 

Allowing the ship into Maltese waters would be a contravention to Common Article 1 of the Geneva Convention and a grave act of complicity in a genocide that has now seen the murder of over 42,600 Palestinians, of which at least 16,765 were children, Graffitti said.  

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, had earlier urged the Maltese government, which "regularly took a principled stand on Palestine", to act and stop the vessel from advancing. 

"At the time Israel is committing acts of genocide against the Palestinians, States are under an obligation “to respect and to ensure respect” for the Genocide Convention “in all circumstances”. This includes not to transfer arms to parties to an armed conflict.  Imposing an Arms Embargo on Israel, at the time it continues to slaughter civilians in the region, is one of such legal obligations as also recalled by the Human Rights Council this year," she wrote.