(LONDON) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved an operational plan for the expansion of the war in Gaza in a meeting late Sunday, a senior Israeli political source confirmed to ABC News.
The plan includes the occupation of parts of Gaza’s territory and “moving” Palestinians to the south of Gaza, the source said. It also approves the “possibility” of allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Jury selection starts Monday in the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, beginning the first courtroom test of whether one of hip-hop’s most important figures used power and wealth amassed in the music, clothing and spirits industries to sexually abuse, coerce and exploit alleged victims for decades.
Known by various names through the years – Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy and Love – Combs became a rap impresario in the 1990s, launching the careers of Mary J. Blige, Usher and the Notorious B.I.G. and lending his hip-hop credentials to the songs of Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez.
Combs, who once proclaimed himself “Bad Boy for Life,” now faces what could amount to a life sentence if convicted. Federal prosecutors in New York allege he “abused, threatened and coerced women” into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes he called “freak offs” and threatened them into silence.
“After Freak Offs, Combs and the victims typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use,” the indictment said.
He has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges — five counts in all. His defense attorneys have said all of his sexual encounters were consensual and have described Combs as a swinger who invited third parties into his bedroom.
At a hearing last month, Agnifilo seemed to preview the defense strategy, telling the judge, “There’s a lifestyle, call it swingers, that he was in that he thought was appropriate. The reason he thought it was appropriate is because it’s so common.”
By coincidence, jury selection begins the same day as the Met Gala, where Combs was once a fixture.
Potential jurors began answering written questions last week to test what they may have heard about the case, whether they can be fair and whether they can endure a two-month trial expected to feature sexually explicit evidence.
The evidence includes a surveillance tape, first broadcast by CNN in May 2024, that shows Combs striking, kicking and dragging then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016. Ventura’s civil lawsuit, settled a day after it was filed in 2023 with no admission of wrongdoing, provided prosecutors with a basis to initiate the criminal investigation that led to Combs’ arrest in September 2024.
Combs apologized for the video at the time, saying, “I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”
Ventura is an anticipated witness, along with three other as-yet-unidentified alleged victims, two of whom were given permission to testify under pseudonyms.
Prosecutors are also expected to introduce items seized when federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations raided Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami, including more than a dozen electronic devices and AR-15-style rifles with defaced serial numbers.
Days before trial, federal prosecutors offered Combs a chance to plead guilty and spare himself the possibility of a prolonged prison sentence. Asked if he rejected the offer, Combs answered, “Yes I do your honor.”
He has appeared in court wearing drab beige jail garb but the jury will see him in ordinary dress clothes. Members of his family, including his mother, are expected to attend.
His defense team includes Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos. They represented NXIVM founder Keith Raniere who was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, the same charges Combs faces.
The defense team also includes Brian Steel, who represented rapper Young Thug at a racketeering trial in Atlanta, and Alexandra Shapiro, a leading appellate litigator who also represents Sam Bankman-Fried.
The all-female prosecution team includes Maureen Comey, who successfully prosecuted Ghislaine Maxwell for sex trafficking, and Emily Johnson, Mitzi Steiner and Madison Smyser, who have prosecuted violent crime, and gang prosecutor Christy Slavik.
(VATICAN CITY) — In the wake of the death of Pope Francis, the spotlight has been placed on the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church as they gather for a secretive conclave to select the next pontiff.
Many of these clergymen are flocking to social media to share updates with the public, marking a stark difference to the last conclave in 2013 when digital platforms were not as established, according to Gustavo Entrala, a strategic communications consultant who previously worked with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
“It’s clear that many cardinals are being more active right now on social media. That’s a huge contrast with the last conclave,” Entrala told ABC News.
Cardinal Isao Kukuchi, the archbishop of Tokyo, posted a selfie on a bus with other cardinals while they were en route to “pray in front of the tomb of Pope Francis” after his funeral on April 26.
Later, once the date of the conclave’s start was announced, Cardinal William Goh of Singapore immediately posted to X asking for people to “pray that we will choose the right candidate to be the successor of St. Peter to lead the Church in this complex world.”
Similarly, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, has attained almost 300,000 followers on X, where he has been posting daily videos describing his activities in Rome and sharing some of the locations of meetings and mass leading up to the conclave.
While the idea of cardinals posting on social media has been a rising trend within the Catholic Church over the years, Entrala said the type of content has shifted slightly since Francis’ death.
“If you watched what [cardinals] were doing one month ago, it was more doctrinal, more spiritual and encouraging to their people, but now they are talking about the papacy and the process that they are going through now,” Entrala said. “I think their content is much more oriented to explaining everything surrounding the papacy and the conclave.”
The openness to share bits of information while in Rome can allow for audiences to feel a stronger connection and sense of relatability to these cardinals, Entrala said.
“People don’t want to see the priests and cardinals or bishops as very distant people who talk to you from high up. [Cardinals] know that that doesn’t work anymore,” Entrala said.
Regardless of the type of content, Entrala said he “cannot see any of them posting for the fact that they want to be elected” as pope.
Still, the willingness cardinals feel to share online could potentially lead to major consequences, according to Kurt Martens, professor at the Catholic University of America and a canon law expert.
“When cardinals post on social media, they have to be extremely careful that nothing that’s been said [in private meetings] gets out,” Martens told ABC News. “If I were a cardinal, I wouldn’t say anything to the media right now other than ‘we are all praying very hard’ and ‘pray for us.'”
Martens said if a cardinal shares any information from their general congregation meetings prior to the conclave — or from the conclave itself — they could be subject to sanctions. Overall, anyone who “directly or indirectly violates the secrecy incurs an excommunication,” which is the highest sanction one could have in the church, Martens said.
Another potential challenge the cardinals face when posting on social media is a slew of negative comments, according to Walter Scheirer, professor of engineering who researches internet culture at the University of Notre Dame. These comments, which Scheirer describes as a “continual mockery of whoever is posting,” typically relate to political partisanship, critiques about the church and other “long-standing problems,” including the church’s sex abuse crisis.
Scheirer told ABC News the problem is that the cardinals do not respond to those comments, eliminating the back-and-forth that he says is the “point of social media.”
“What you see, especially with a high-profile account of a cardinal, is they don’t respond back. You see a string of negative comments, but the public figure never really engages with that. I think that’s a little bit disappointing,” Scheirer said.
Despite the potential downsides, social media has given users more access to the world of the Catholic Church and changed its traditional patterns of hierarchy, according to Jana Bennett, religious studies professor at the University of Dayton.
These platforms have widened the net of possibilities for people to gain religious insight from, instead of only relying on their local parish, Bennett said.
“You can sort of choose your own bishop, choose the people that you see as authoritative, where before, there wasn’t that choice,” Bennett said.
Along with the cardinals, the last two popes, Benedict and Francis, have also embraced social media, with Benedict introducing the papal Twitter account, @Pontifex, back in 2012, Entrala said.
Entrala said Francis was also “extremely active” on the account during his papacy and expects the next pontiff to do the same, and perhaps even increase their digital media presence through livestreaming.
“The idea of meeting the pope and having a selfie with him was unimaginable before Pope Francis,” Entrala said. “I think the next pope will be a man of his time. Even if he is not savvy in terms of using social media, he will accept it, no problem.”
The conclave to elect the Catholic Church’s 267th leader will begin on May 7, according to the Vatican.
Maria Grazia Picciarella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(VATICAN CITY) — Two cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church who will be voting in the upcoming papal conclave sat down with ABC News to discuss the challenges facing the church that the new pontiff will have to face and shared glimpses of the election process.
Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2019, said the clergymen of the Catholic Church are “united in their task” to select a new pope.
The cardinals, who have been getting to know one another in Rome following the days of Pope Francis’ funeral, are not engaging in any kind of behind-the-scenes debates about issues of the church, Czerny said.
“This is not a political convention. We’re not dealing and wheeling in order to create a consensus. We are entering spiritually, prayerfully, having listened to one another as deeply as we can,” he said.
Czerny declined to say whether he wants a new pope whose views align with those of Francis nor would he discuss possible candidates for the next pontiff, but when asked what the church needs most at this time, he said: “It’s very important that we’re here in 2025, not 12 years ago or not 100 years ago, but now.”
Once elected, Czerny said the new pope will face challenges regarding artificial intelligence, the proliferation of wars and the climate crisis.
“These are all things in which the church is involved because we’re everywhere and these are the things that are affecting people’s lives,” Czerny said.
Cardinal Chibly Langlois, the first and only cardinal from Haiti who was appointed in 2014 by Francis, told ABC News he is looking for a pope who will be able to tackle issues like technology, the sex abuse scandals in the church, interreligious dialogue, along with outreach to young people and isolated communities.
“If we try to understand what awaits the next pope, inside the church, outside the church and around the world, that will help guide the next pope,” Langlois said.
Czerny said members of the clergy are listening to young people who want a more inclusive church, saying “inclusivity is another word for Catholic.”
“It’s part of what the Church is by its nature. And Pope Francis has been very good at opening the doors in the sense that people feel welcome, people feel included there. I’m sure that will continue,” Czerny told ABC News.
Czerny, who said he has not been following the media coverage of the conclave, is urging others to not worry about who the next pope will be.
“Every time there’s a new Holy Father, there’s this certain anxiety or disorientation,” Czerny said. “Right now, it’s a feeling of emptiness, an empty time. So I know there’s reasons maybe to feel a bit anxious, but there’s no reason for anxiety. Pray and be hopeful and when we discover who is the new Holy Father, let’s all rally to help him.”
Overall, Langlois — who did not disclose who he will be voting for during the conclave — said the church “cannot talk about the next pope without talking about the legacy that Pope Francis left us.”
“He opened this workshop of transformation, of transparency when it comes to governance, we’ll have to bear that in mind,” Langlois said. “We must complete what he started.”
The papal conclave will begin on Wednesday, May 7, according to the Vatican.
In total, 133 cardinals will be voting during this conclave, the most electors ever, with 108 of them being appointed by Pope Francis. Ten are from the United States.
(RIO DE JANEIRO) — Two individuals were arrested in connection with an alleged bomb attack plot targeting Lady Gaga’s free concert on Copacabana Beach, Brazilian Civil Police confirmed.
The suspects — one adult male detained in Rio Grande do Sul and a teenager arrested in Rio de Janeiro — are both reported fans of Lady Gaga and were allegedly planning to use improvised explosives, including Molotov cocktails, authorities said. No explosives were found during the operation, according to police.
Authorities say the two are part of an online group that promotes hate speech and attempts to recruit other teenagers while encouraging acts of violence. One of the suspects was also found in possession of child pornography, police allege.
The arrests were part of Operation Fake Monsters, a joint investigation led by the Brazilian Justice Ministry, Federal Police, and digital intelligence services. The operation aimed to preempt any threat ahead of the singer’s historic performance on Saturday night, which drew over two million fans to Rio’s iconic beachfront.
Despite the threat, the concert proceeded without incident.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
(TEL AVIV) — A ballistic missile launched from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthis struck near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, briefly grounding flights, halting train service and forcing the closure of access roads covered in debris.
“Following the sirens that sounded in a number of areas in Israel, several attempts were made to intercept the missile launched from Yemen,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. “A fall was identified in the area of Ben Gurion Airport. The incident is under review.”
The incident marks the first time the Israeli Army has claimed it failed to intercept an incoming ballistic missile since the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza in mid-March. The Houthis have fired over two dozen missiles and drones on Israel recently according to the IDF.
According to a spokesperson for Ben Gurion International Airport, flights were grounded for nearly an hour after the Houthi missile struck a grassy area near the main highway leading into the airport at approx 9:30 am local time.
The blast damaged parts of the entrance to Terminal 3. Israeli police said officers and emergency workers are still clearing the closed highway; bulldozers were brought in to remove debris. Several airlines have cancelled their flights to Israel today, including Lufthansa and British Airways.
Trains leading to and from the airport, which were halted initially after the strike are now running again, providing the only way into the airport.
Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services, said in a statement that eight people had been transported with injuries to two local hospitals. Most of the injuries were sustained from running for cover during the aerial siren.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to respond to the Houthi strike, saying on X, “Whoever harms us will be harmed seven-fold.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his top advisors and the defense officials later today to weigh Israel’s response, according to an Israeli official.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.
(SIMI VALLEY, CA) — A small, home-built kit airplane crashed in Simi Valley, California, on Saturday afternoon, damaging two homes, catching fire and killing two people onboard, officials said.
The Vans RV-10 that crashed near High Meadow Street and Wood Ranch Parkway around 2:10 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The pilot died in the crash, Ventura County Fire Department Public Information Officer Andrew Dowd told reporters at a news conference. A passenger also died, the department later said in a statement.
“Simi Valley PD in coordination with the medical examiners office has verified there were two passengers in the aircraft, both of whom were fatally injured in the accident,” the fire department said in a statement.
Some 40 firefighters were dispatched and put out the flames, according to the fire department.
There were people inside the two homes at the time of the crash, but they were not hurt, Dowd said.
Shelby Joice told ABC News she lives across the street from where the plane crashed. She said she and her mother were watching TV when they heard what sounded like a helicopter passing over.
“All of a sudden, we heard a big crash and our entire house started shaking. We actually thought something crashed into our house,” Joyce said.
She said they witnessed a “big, massive fireball” and black plumes of smoke.
The plane departed from William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and was heading to Camarillo Airport, according to the FAA.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation and work with the FAA.
Simi Valley is located about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
ABC News’ Matthew Holroyd contributed to this report.
(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — Oleksii Tiunin, a Ukrainian soldier who lost his leg in Russia’s war, has become known in his adopted Canadian home as an undefeated sportsman.
He was the captain of this year’s Ukrainian national team at the Invictus Games, which included the largest-ever Ukrainian delegation in February in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
“If someone had told me during my rehabilitation about such an event as these games, I would not have believed it was possible at first,” said Tiunin, 37.
The veteran of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which participates it the most brutal battles with the Russian invaders, was badly injured by the enemy gunfire near Andriivka, Donetsk region, in August 2023.
Because of a delayed evacuation, he said, he lost his leg. He works today as a TV presenter.
But here, in British Columbia, this veteran from Kharkiv region is already known as a man of a strong spirit.
Earlier this year, a team of 35 injured Ukrainian soldiers won 30 medals, and finished on the fourth place in total medal count behind the U.S.’s 53, the United Kingdom’s 38 and Australia’s 36. The 12 gold, 11 silver and seven bronze medals marked the country’s second-best result at the Invictus Games.
“We came here to have fun and show the strength of Ukrainian people, get some medals, meet new people, chat with them, enjoy sightseeing and relax,” Tiunin told ABC News after the closing ceremony.
Due to his observations, the attitude towards the Ukrainian team was special: “Each of us got much more out of this trip than we expected — we had only good and positive emotions here.”
Tiunin describes the attitude to Ukrainian team as a combination of attention and respect, that has obviously close connection to the war in Ukraine that started over three years ago with the Russian full-scale invasion.
“I think people understand that a brutal war is currently going on in our country, and if we take into account other participants of the games, none of them was involved in such a war as we, Ukrainians are,” said the veteran.
According to Tiunin, the Ukrainian team was warmly supported not only by the representatives of the diaspora, but also by Canadians on the streets of Vancouver.
In late 2024, the Economist estimated that nearly 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers were injured and were unable to return to the front line.
One of the injured is Serhii Hordiievych, 38, the golden medalist in alpine skiing this year in Whistler.
A veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Volyn region in western Ukraine, he used to work as a physical education teacher at a local college and then as a repairman in France — before joining the military.
In May 2022, Hordiievych was injured during his battalion counteroffensive near the village of Vesele in the Kharkiv region.
“I fell on my back and felt that my legs are getting stiff – I only managed to look around to check if there was an enemy somewhere around and then called my comrades for help,” he recalls.
According to Hordiievych’s memories, from the very first seconds he was full of faith that he would survive: “I just closed my eyes and fainted with a smile on my face, in pure and sincere confidence that everything is going to be fine.”
He suffered a spinal cord injury, and despite the long rehabilitation process, Hordiievych is still unable to walk – quite a disaster for a young man with great passion to sport.
“Before joining the army, I used to play soccer for three or even five times a week – always ready and accepting any proposal to compete,” said the veteran.
But the Invictus Games 2025 in Whistler were his first-ever real competition or big games ever. Hordiievych said he was inspired by his friend, and Invictus Games 2022 Ukrainian team member, Serhii Kalytiuk. Despite a similar injury, Kalytiuk continues to excel in sports.
Now he practices archery, table tennis and even works as a coach of the national para-tennis team.
“At the very beginning I had no idea how I should live from now on,” said Hordiievych. “But my comrade visited me in the hospital and helped me a lot – although his injury was much worse in comparison to mine, he provided a personal example, proving that it is possible to overcome it.”
Kalytiuk showed Hordiievych how to drive a car – at that time, something unthinkable for people with traumas like theirs: “That is how I restarted myself once again to renew my will for life,” Hordiievych said.
And that is probably why his first-ever trip to the American continent brought him and Ukraine a gold medal on alpine skiing, although he was not even proposed to participate in these games.
It was Hordiievych’s wife, Tetiana, who literally forced him to join the national team. According to him, she said: “Let me have you registered, we will go to the national tryouts and check if it fits you or not and then you will decide it yourself if it is worth it.”
So, she registered Hordiievych and wrote him a motivational letter, which he read in front of the camera, and sent it out without any firm belief he would be added to the team’s roster. in success.
But Hordiievych was invited for the tryouts in Kyiv: “It was some special vibe there, I felt as if I was among my people, as if I belonged here, the atmosphere was very relaxing and I liked it,” he says.
And the results were announced on Hordiievych’s birthday. “On that day I received lots of calls with greetings – I was nonstop thanking everybody wondering, how they knew it was my birthday, as I have deleted my birthday information from my social media profiles everywhere,” he remembered.
At some point, when Hordiievych heard the next “My congratulations!” from the archery coach, who he didn’t know well, he asked her: “Ms. Lesia, how do you know that it is my birthday?” And the answer was: “I know nothing about your birthday – you’re on the national team!”
“That was how I became a member of the team,” Hordiievych says with a smile on his face.
Right before the games, during six days of practice in Bukovel, a ski resort in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains, Hordiievych was facing a tremendous challenge – to learn how to ski.
“For the first two days I was not able to make a simple turn or even balance myself properly, but thanks to my coaches and other joint efforts, we managed to help me overcome myself and we did it,” he said.
New sport discipline helped Hordiievych to feel the same positive emotions he used to feel when he was skiing before the war, and that was probably the turning point that made the champion in Whistler.
According to Hordiievych, it was an unforgettable moment, when he arrived at the finish line and his coach, leaning forward over the net, shouted: ‘Serhii, you are the winner!’
“At first, I thought that the coach was just cheering me up and supporting, because at the third turn I slowed down a bit, lost some speed and was almost sure that others will have much better results,” says Hordiievych.
But his coach then repeated: “You beat them all by three seconds.” And it was such an incredible feeling for Hordiievych once he understood that he is the champion.
Besides this moment of glory and fame, Hordiievych said, he will always remember Canadian Rockies: “It was unreal panoramic view when my coaches and the instructor took me to the peak over 2000 meters high here in BC.”
Another memorable moment for Hordiievych was his meeting with Prince Harry. As he recalls, “On the last day of the games he was sitting down near me with a child of my comrade on his knees, and that is how I get this memorable image.”
Now, after the Games, Hordiievych said he plans to continue alpine skiing, and he also started to play table tennis.
Although his spinal cord injury is a complicated trauma and needs a very sophisticated treatment and long adaptation, he still hopes for complete recovery.
“I am confident that one day I will walk again, because I must dance with my daughter – first at her graduation party and then at her wedding,” he said.
It looks as if the whole Invictus Games Ukrainian national team consists of people with strong faith and unbreakable will.
“A person with a disability because of war. A person with unlimited capabilities! Learning to live with a prosthesis!” – that is how Tiunin describes himself on his Instagram profile.
And that is how he is trying to help other injured veterans to deal with their traumas.
Tiunin clearly understands that not everyone will be able to accept new life immediately and be ready to compete with other veterans at the next Invictus Games.
As a captain of the National team and the veteran, he said, there should be not even a single chance for surrender.
“You don’t have to fall into despair, you just have to survive this difficult stage of treatment, rehabilitation, not give up, believe in yourself, train and strive for greater heights,” he said.
(CINCINNATI) — Authorities in Ohio said a man “purposely” struck and killed a sheriff’s deputy the day after his teen son was fatally shot by police.
Rodney Hinton Jr. has been charged with aggravated murder in the death of the sheriff’s deputy, who was struck Friday while directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati, according to authorities.
Cincinnati police said Hinton is the father of 18-year-old Ryan Hinton, who was shot and killed by an officer the day before.
At a court appearance on Saturday, Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies packed the courtroom in support of the fallen deputy, according to ABC Cincinnati affiliate WCPO.
Prosecuting attorney Ryan Nelson said that Hinton Jr.’s movements in his car on Friday were “calculated and premeditated.” He added, “He lined up his car, deliberately accelerated his car and purposely caused the death of an on-duty deputy sheriff.”
The attorney representing Hinton Jr. said that he faces a “very serious, very terrible charge” but noted that he has no felonies in his record.
“I understand that this is an emotionally charged situation,” the attorney said, mentioning the death of Hinton Jr.’s son. He added, “I understand that there is a lot of sadness and a lot of anger in this room right now and in the community at large.”
The judge ordered Hinton Jr. held without bond in the Clermont County jail until his next hearing on May 6.
In a statement Saturday, attorneys representing the Hinton family said they were hired to investigate the death of Ryan Hinton and that Rodney Hinton, along with other family members, met with Cincinnati police on Friday to view body camera footage of his shooting death.
“Ryan Hinton’s family, including Ryan’s father, was present at the meeting and they were understandably distraught as they watched the bodycam video,” the statement said. “After the meeting with the police department, Ryan Hinton’s father left in his own vehicle and that was the last we heard from him until learning about the tragic incident involving a law enforcement officer who was working a traffic detail near the University of Cincinnati.”
The attorneys are Michael Wright, Shean Williams and Robert Gresham of The Cochran Firm, as well as Anthony Pierson of Pierson and Pierson, LLC, according to WCPO.
The statement went on to say: “This is an unimaginable tragedy for this community. Ryan Hinton’s family is heartbroken by this tragic turn of events and we are all devastated for the family of the officer who was killed.”
The deputy has not yet been publicly identified under an Ohio law that protects the privacy of victims and their families. However, police said the deputy had recently retired and was serving in a special capacity with the department.
(NEW YORK) — Activists are demanding an investigation after they say a humanitarian ship headed to Gaza was bombed by a drone in the Mediterranean Sea overnight Friday.
The passenger vessel Conscience made a mayday call shortly after midnight, reporting a fire on its bow, the government of Malta said.
The ship, located off the coast of Malta in international waters at the time, was being operated by activists with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which is campaigning to end Israel’s ongoing blockade of aid into Gaza.
Israel began the aid blockade on March 2 after the end of the temporary ceasefire deal, saying they were imposing the blockade to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Malta’s government said that 12 crew members and four civilian passengers were on board and none were injured.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the reported attack.
FFC spokesperson Yasemin Acar told ABC News in a video interview from Valletta, the capital of Malta, that most of those aboard were asleep when they awoke to the sound of an explosion, Acar said the vessel was struck twice “which why they knew they were under attack.”
The group claims the blasts were caused by a drone whose immediate origin the group did not know. ABC News has not been able to verify the group’s claims.
Video and photos provided by the FFC showed fire and smoke on board Conscience, as well as damage to the bow of the vessel in the aftermath of the reported attack.
ABC News showed the FCC photos showing the damaged sustained to the Conscience to Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordinance disposal specialist.
“The damage is consistent with two small blast munitions, which can be deployed by drone,” Ball said. “You’d need remnants to confirm that though, well as country of origin.”
Acar said the vessel had been carrying humanitarian aid, which Israel’s government is not allowing to enter Gaza.
In an online statement, the FFC called for an investigation into the reported attack and demanded that “Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters.”
ABC News has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. State Department for comment on the incident.
The moments after the reported strike are visible in ship tracking data from MarineTraffic. Shortly after midnight, the Conscience can be seen veering off its course. According to MarineTraffic, the vessel left Bizerte, Tunisia, on Wednesday and was scheduled to dock in Malta on Friday.
There, the FFC said, the vessel planned to bring aboard more passengers — including climate activist Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright — before continuing on to Gaza.
Data from online flight tracker ADSBExchange shows that a military transport plane operated by Israel’s military flew over Malta in the hours before the attack.
The Lockheed KC-130H plane entered Maltese airspace at around 3:25 p.m. local time. Data shows the plane flying in a zig-zag pattern around the eastern coast of Malta at an altitude as low as 4,350 feet before beginning its return to Israel at around 7:30 p.m. local time, nearly five hours before the reported attack on Conscience.
ABC News’ Dana Savir and Benjamin Siu contributed to this report.
