The Palestine Liberation Organization's Department of Human Rights and Civil Society said in a statement that the ship was part of an international convoy opposing the Israeli blockade, carrying 30 international activists from European countries, along with relief aid intended for the residents of the Gaza Strip.
She explained that the attack caused a fire on board the ship, which led to its subsequent sinking.
The statement added that the ship had issued urgent distress calls, but none of the neighboring countries, including Malta, responded, deeming this a "serious failure and a violation of international law and humanitarian obligations."
The department held the international community fully responsible for protecting the crews of relief ships and humanitarian activists, calling for an independent international investigation into the "cowardly attack" and ensuring the safety of humanitarian convoys heading to Gaza.
Since early March, Israel has continued to prevent the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, despite repeated UN appeals.
In this context, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said, "International law is clear: Israel, as an occupying power, must allow humanitarian aid to reach the Strip, and it must not be used as a bargaining chip."
"Blocking aid means starving and killing civilians, depriving them of medical care and dignity, and is a form of collective punishment," Fletcher added in a statement.
He stressed that the mechanism recently proposed by the Israeli authorities does not meet the minimum humanitarian obligations, reiterating his call to "lift the brutal blockade on Gaza and allow humanitarian workers to carry out their duties."
In 2010, Israel attacked the Mavi Marmara in international waters, carrying activists from several countries and humanitarian aid. The attack resulted in the deaths of 10 Turkish activists and the injury of 60 passengers. Israel then confiscated the ship, arrested its passengers, and confiscated the humanitarian aid.