[UPDATE: It is being reported that Government banned the cargo ship from entering Maltese waters.]

Moviment Graffitti have sent an open letter letter to Prime Minister, Robert Abela, and Minister for Transport, Chris Bonnett, urgently calling on them to avoid complicity in the ongoing genocide in Palestine and the attacks on its neighbouring countries.

Late at night, on the 6th of October, Moviment Graffitti was made aware that the MV Kathrin may be headed to Maltese waters and could also potentially dock in Maltese ports. According to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, the MV Kathrin is believed to be carrying eight containers of RDX Hexogen explosives, which are reportedly key components in the manufacture of bombs and missiles being used in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

At the time of writing, AIS data shows that the MV Kathrin appeared to be off the eastern coast of Sicily last night, and seems likely to arrive in Maltese waters in the coming hours.

Moviment Graffitti asserts how Israel has remained steadfast in its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people and, in doing so, has continued to breach laws against international peace and security, while simultaneously also breaching binding orders made by the International Court of Justice. As the slaughter of Palestinians and their neighbours continues, states remain legally bound to international humanitarian law, which declares it a crime to transfer weapons to a party, when, in doing so, there is a clear risk of aiding in the commission of war crimes. As the RDX Hexogen explosives constitute key elements of weapons which will be used for such purposes, Moviment Graffitti are calling upon the Maltese government to follow the example of Namibia and stop the MV Kathrin from passing through, or docking in, Maltese waters.

“To do otherwise would not only be a contravention to Common Article 1 of the Geneva Convention, but also a grave act of complicity in a genocide that has now seen the murder of over 42,600 Palestinians, of which at least 16,765 were children. The death toll now continues to rise into the thousands in surrounding countries,” the letter states.

Furthermore, apart from the urgent prohibition of this vessel from entering Maltese waters, Moviment Graffitti continues to urge Prime Minister Abela and Minister Bonett to exercise their power to clearly and publicly forbid the passage, anchoring, docking or provisioning in Maltese ports, airports, seas and airspace of any military provisions going towards Israel.