Conscience

Nine more vessels of the The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, including the 'Thousand Madleens to Gaza' and the 'Conscience', carrying 93 journalists, doctors, among them cardiologists, general surgeons, and gynecologists, as well as activists, were intercepted and boarded by the Israeli military. while headed to Gaza as part of the aid flotilla movement, on the morning of Oct 8, about 120 nautical miles away from Gaza. The 'Conscience' was attacked by an Israeli military helicopter. Live footage showed the flotilla ships surrounded by Israeli Navy speedboats, and activists on board throwing their phones into the sea. In the live broadcast from the "Conscience," the Freedom Flotilla's flagship, the spokesman Kasim Aktag said: "The ships have surrounded us, the soldiers are approaching to board us. Never forget us, remain mobilized, and let us preserve our unity." The statement said that the ships were illegally stopped and were carrying $110,000 worth of medicine, breathing apparatus, and food for Gaza's desperately needed hospitals. After these announcements, the live broadcast was interrupted, Israeli soldiers began boarding the ships, and communication with many of the vessels was cut off. A statement issued by the flotilla's information group stated: "Our ships are under illegal siege. The cameras have been disabled, and soldiers have boarded the ships. Communication with the ships has been cut off." On the flotilla's website, the tracking system for tracking the ships' speed and coordinates in real time was also disabled. Zhe Israeli navy raided nine ships of the Gaza flotilla, arrested approximately 150 people, and directed the ships to the port of Ashdod. In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the ship and its passengers had been transferred to an Israeli port. Sll passengers were safe and sound and expected to be deported as soon as possible. The 'Conscience' berthed in the port of Ashdod at around 4 p.m. UTC (12.45 p.m. Malaysian time). Before this, the 'Gaza Sunbirds', 'Alaa Al-Najjar' and 'Anas Al-Sharif' were subjected to an attack and interception by the Israeli army at 04:34 a.m., about 220 kilometres from the shores of Gaza. This came a week after the Israeli navy had intercepted 42 ships making up the Global Sumud flotilla, the largest to date to attempt to defy the blockade. Israel has since expelled the vast majority of the 479 activists participating, including the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Reports with photos and video: https://www.msn.com/es-mx/noticias/mundo/la-flotilla-de-ayuda-a-gaza-dice-que-las-fuerzas-israel%C3%ADes-interceptaron-sus-barcos/ar-AA1O3Zoe https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pirates-are-here-again-gaza-aid-flotilla-intercepted-by-israeli-military-thousand-madleens-conscience-boat-101759893436219.html https://x.com/ICBSOFGAZA/status/1975764193593679913 https://www.commondreams.org/news/gaza-freedom-flotilla https://www.aa.com.tr/fr/monde/larm%C3%A9e-isra%C3%A9lienne-a-attaqu%C3%A9-les-navires-de-la-flottille-de-la-libert%C3%A9/3710597 https://fr.timesofisrael.com/la-marine-intercepte-la-derniere-flottille-pour-gaza-150-militants-seront-expulses/ https://www.lesoir.be/703489/article/2025-10-08/flottille-pour-gaza-le-rappeur-belge-youssef-swatts-arrete-par-larmee https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/10/08/israel-attacks-another-group-of-civilian-ships-bound-for-gaza/ https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/10/1290400/gaza-bound-conscience-reaches-ashdod-port-fate-other-vessels-unknown

Huwaida Arraf, spokesperson aboard the 'Conscience', vowed that the ship would continue its course toward Gaza in an effort to break Israel’s blockade and reach the besieged enclave by Oct. 10, along with eight other vessels from the Thousand Madleens organizations. The 'Conscience' is specifically dedicated to healthcare and media workers. Last week, Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla, starting on Oct 1, detaining more than 470 activists from over 50 countries. The flotilla was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.

The 'Consicence' left Aliaga again on Sep 14 and arrived in the port of Otranto on Sep 20. The ship was orepared to become the largest vessel to join the flotilla which was planning to break the siege of Gaza by opening a humanitarian corridor.. The ship left the port on Sep 30 to join the other ships of the Gazafreedomflotilla. It was carrying eighteen tons of aid. On board were approximately 100 national and international activists, mostly doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, but also journalists, lawyers, Turkish parliamentarians, a Buddhist monk, and many members of civil society, including a 77-year-old professor from Catania who departed a few days ago. Report with photo and video: https://www.lecceprima.it/cronaca/conscience-freedom-flotilla-otranto-30-settembre-2025.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DPPI8nWDLk4/

The offshore tug ' Cala Azzurra' (IMO: 9249829) has taken in tow the damaged 'Conscience'. The convoy was enroute to Aliaga, where it finally dropped anchor on May 27.

The 'Conscience' is to be towed to another port in the Mediterranean for repairs, Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg said on May 18. The shipowner provided a tug which arrived alongside the 'Conscience' on May 16., with the purpose of towing it. This operation could commence on May 18, as weather conditions become favourable, On the morning, preparations were underway for the vessel to be towed from Hurd’s Bank The Government of Malta, through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, the Ministry for Home Affairs, Security and Employment, and the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Malta, the Police, Transport Malta and the Harbour Master, has been working to seek solutions for the vessel, which has been anchored outside Malta’s territorial waters, while ensuring that national security is safeguarded. A surveyor dispatched by the Maltese government described the damage as minor, and the government offered to pay for repairs just as long as they were done at sea. The 12 individuals on board will be repatriated by first being granted entry into Malta, from where they will board outbound flights. Six other individuals had been onboard the vessel at the time of the incident: they were brought to Malta and flown out of the country on May 5. The 'Conscience' is operated by aid group Freedom Flotilla and it was planning to make a run into Palestine to deliver food aid to Gaza, breaking an Israeli blockade. It was to make a stop in Malta to pick up several activists, aming them the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, before proceeding to Gaza.

Maltese authorities will undertake the necessary repairs at sea to the 'Consicence' of the Freedom Flotilla ship, after an initial inspection found that minor repairs were sufficient to allow it to sail to its next destination in the Gaza Strip. In this regard, the main systems, including the engines and generators, have remained operational. The ship remained anchored in international waters for the time being.