VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has denied claims that Malta’s sovereign airspace was used in an Israeli drone strike on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.
VD news, an Italian media house reported that the attack, which targeted the “Family Boat” off the Tunisian coast earlier this month, was launched from Malta and Sicily. The vessel, sailing under a Portuguese flag, was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) and carried activists from its steering committee.
Camilleri insisted there had been “no case of violation of Malta’s airspace without the required authorisation.” He clarified that reports may have referred to Malta’s Flight Information Region (FIR) — an area where the country provides air traffic services — but stressed this was distinct from sovereign airspace.
The attack on the GSF vessel follows a similar incident in May, when a Freedom Flotilla Coalition boat, the “Conscience,” was hit by armed drones shortly after leaving Malta. That strike caused significant damage, sparking fears of escalation.
A dossier from the Global Movement to Gaza alleged that four Israeli aircraft operated between Israel, Malta and Sicily during the September attack. It claimed such manoeuvres could not have occurred without European states’ awareness.
Organisers described the strikes as “terrorist acts” aimed at intimidating activists and slowing their mission to deliver aid to Gaza. Camilleri reiterated that Malta’s sovereignty had not been breached.
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(ITALPRESS).
