According to the human rights group that runs the ship, the ship carrying 16 people and humanitarian assistance to Gaza, was shaken by an explosion early on Friday off the coast of Malta, putting the ship in danger of being burned and sinking.
The Maltese government said in a statement that the vessel and its crew were safe after helping the tag ships put out the flames after Mayday's call.
He added that the authorities were monitoring the ships in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, as they did not say what caused the fire.
The ship, called Conscience and run by a group called the Freedom Frotira Union, left Tunisia earlier this week carrying human rights activists and aid.
Before heading to Gaza, the ship was scheduled to stop in Malta to pick up around 40 people, including Swedish activist Greta Samberg, said group spokesperson Yasemin Akal.
It was unclear whether the damaged ship would be allowed to dock into Malta on Friday morning. The cause of the explosion was not determined, and it was unclear whether the ship was intentionally targeted.
The crew believed they had been hit by a drone attack, the coalition said. At about 12:20am local time, the coalition said in a statement that an armed drone fired two bombs in front of the vessel as the ship approached Malta.
It caused a fire, causing a major violation of the hull, breaking the generators inside the ship, preventing power from being applied to the crew. Some of the group's accounts could not be independently verified.
The video provided by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and verified by the New York Times appears to show a fire on the ship's deck as the alarms arise. Security footage recorded after the reported fire time shows that people on board are assessing the damage as the man holds the fire extinguisher.
Maltese authorities said they received Mayday's call from a passenger ship of the same name around 12:20am and reported a bow fire. No casualties have been reported, the Maltese government said.
A nearby tag vessel with fire equipment helped to control the fire by 1:30am, according to a Malta statement. Within an hour, the crew was confirmed to be safe.
Another group spokesman, Anne Wright, said the crew were on board rather than evacuating and continuing to monitor the disabled ship.
The group asked the crew to pick up debris from the explosion, allowing them to undergo forensic examinations.
Israel has restricted humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip and has recently banned it since March to pressure Hamas to accept a proposal to extend the ceasefire.
Israeli forces blocked past attempts by Palestinian activists, including power, to bring aid to Gaza at sea.
In 2010, nine passengers on the Mabimarmara, a fleet carrying aid from Turkey to Gaza, were killed in an Israeli commando attack, sparking international rage and aggravation of Turkish-Israel relations.
It was not clear who was responsible for the explosion in the fleet near Malta on Friday. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to the Maltese government and the Union of Freedom Fleets, there were 12 crew members and four civilian passengers on the ship.
The Freedom Fleet Union, which challenged the Gaza blockade by providing humanitarian assistance to Israel's Gaza blockade, has called on the international community to condemn the attack.
“Attacking international human rights activists in international waters is a war crime,” Acar said.
Yaway Wang A report from Seoul has been donated.
