Malta Denies Passage To Ship Carrying Explosives Destined For Israel
The Maltese government has banned an Israel-bound ship from entering its territorial waters citing a “stringent” and longstanding policy of refusing transit of any weapons destined for conflict zones.
The MV Kathrin is understood to have requested permission to dock in Malta for a crew change. A government spokesman confirmed the ship will also not be allowed to bunker. The ship is carrying RDX Hexogen explosives, key components for the manufacture of Israeli bombs and missiles.
The development comes a day after calls by civil society during a protest march organised yesterday by Moviment Graffitti. The demonstration marked one year since the beginning of the onslaught against Gaza in response to a Hamas attack that killed 766 civilians.
Addressing the protest, Graffitti’s Andre Callus lamented the fact that there were no words left to convey the shame and sadness felt by people of goodwill after a year of death and destruction.
“Today, we are not appealing to Israel because, in the 76 years of its existence, it has proven to be nothing but a terrorist state. The Zionist ideology is a racist and colonialist one, aiming to steal the land of the Palestinians, the Lebanese, and others,” Callus said.
“Our appeal is to Malta. In the beginning, Malta’s statements were strong, but now they have become far too ambiguous. We cannot afford ambiguity when a genocide is ongoing. Malta must make a clear declaration that any military supplies—from arms to fuel—passing through our airspace or territorial waters will not be allowed. We need to actively oppose this genocide, and, more importantly, we must not be complicit. If we fail to do this, our complicity will be clear for all to see.”
One year after the horrific Hamas attacks, we stand united against terrorism. Violence from either side only deepens the humanitarian crisis and won’t bring peace.
🇲🇹 will always advocate for restraint and dialogue to protect all lives. – RA
— Robert Abela (@RobertAbela_MT) October 7, 2024
He predicted that authorities would once again avoid giving a direct answer. “No more nonsense. Just make a clear declaration: We will not allow Israeli rearmament through Maltese territory.”
Earlier this year a ruling by the International Court of Justice, found a very real possibility that Israel is committing genocide, as defined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. This convention obliges signatories, including Malta, to actively prevent and punish acts of genocide. Given this ruling, it would not be a stretch to argue that Malta is, in fact, obligated by the convention to ban Israeli rearmament.
In comments to Lovin Malta a spokesperson for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs said that “Malta upholds a stringent policy on the export and transshipment of weapons, military equipment, and dual-use items, particularly when such trade is destined for conflict zones. In this regard, such requests are not authorised.
“This stance is well-established within the industry, resulting in minimal applications for authorisation of such cargo, as Malta is not considered a hub for this type of trade.”
The response suggests that Malta does not permit the transfer of such materials through its ports or terminals, but the spokesperson confirmed that the ban also applied to transit through Maltese territory.
This is not the first time that Malta has been called upon to deny permission to weapons transiting its territory. Back in 2019, Malta had denied a request for a Russian aircraft believed to be carrying weapons to Venezuela to traverse its airspace, prompting condemnation and praise from Russia and the US respectively.
Who Is Pulling Malta’s Strings?
Callus went on to criticise statements calling for peace and condemning “both sides” in international forums, describing them as disgraceful. He called for world leaders, including Malta’s, to acknowledge the ongoing genocide, placing the blame squarely on Israel.
“Malta could have taken one small, symbolic step that would have had no immediate effect but carried significant weight: to recognise the Palestinian State. But it has not done so. Who is pulling Malta’s strings and stopping it from making such a modest move?”
Diplomatic sources recently told Times of Malta that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and top Israeli officials pressured Malta to distance itself from a group of countries that formally recognised Palestine last month. The Maltese government has denied this, yet the excuses offered—that it was not the right time, that recognition would not solve the issue, and that Israel’s position must be considered—mirror statements made by the US and Israel’s closest allies. As the war drags on, these arguments have become increasingly out of touch with reality, pushing Malta to abandon a cause it has historically defended.
Since the start of the war, at least 40,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed—a figure many consider conservative, as it does not account for civilians still buried under the rubble of their homes or those who have died indirectly due to the war.
Malta’s response comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would no longer supply Israel with weapons for use in Gaza. Although Macron stopped short of declaring a total ban on arms and equipment to Israel, the declaration is noteworthy. It signals what many hope is a shift in policy among Western leaders who, until now, have avoided taking direct action to bring the year-long conflict to an end.
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