A cargo vessel sailing under the Antigua and Barbuda flag could face de-registration if allegations that it is carrying military supplies to Israel are substantiated.

The Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS) confirmed it is investigating reports that the HC Opal (IMO 9377846), currently en route to Cyprus, is transporting 23 containers of military-grade materials believed to be destined for the Israeli military.

“Any Antigua & Barbuda-flagged vessel found to be in breach of this prohibition is liable to be de-registered under the authority granted by the Merchant Shipping Act 2006,” ADOMS said in a statement issued Thursday.

The ship, managed by Danish firm Ocean 7 Project and owned by German-registered International Maritime Management (IMM), is sailing through the Eastern Mediterranean and is expected to dock in Larnaca, Cyprus on June 1. The vessel is insured by Norwegian company Gard.

The investigation follows allegations made by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which claims the vessel is carrying explosives, rocket motors, TNT, and detonating fuses—cargo they say was loaded in Chennai, India.

The group has urged Antigua and Barbuda and other states involved, including Germany, Denmark, Norway, India and Cyprus, to inspect the ship and block what it calls “the illegal transfer of military materiel in violation of international law.”

ADOMS noted that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda prohibits any of its entities from facilitating the sale, transfer or diversion of arms, munitions, or military equipment to Israel. That position, it said, is consistent with United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions, and has been outlined in the department’s official Information Notice 2025-001.

“In line with the State’s general obligations under international law and in keeping with United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/Es-10/24, and United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/55/28, the Government of Antigua & Barbuda and Antigua & Barbuda entities, shall not facilitate the sale, transfer, and diversion of arms, munitions, and other military equipment to Israel,” the statement read.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been at war with the Palestinian Sunni Islamist group Hamas  If the HC Opal is found to have violated this policy, Antigua and Barbuda could strip the vessel of its flag—a penalty that would remove the ship’s right to operate under the country’s maritime jurisdiction.

The HC Opal departed Chennai on April 4 and last stopped in Mozambique on April 29. According to BDS, its cargo includes hazardous items such as RDX and TNT, which the group claims could be used to manufacture bombs and artillery shells. “The vessel, sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, is believed to be carrying military supplies, including explosives and rocket parts and fuses, destined for use by Israel in its ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in the illegally occupied Gaza Strip.”

This is not the first time Ocean 7 Project has come under fire. In 2024, BDS targeted another of its managed vessels, the MV Kathrin, which was reportedly used to ship explosives to Israel and eventually lost its Portuguese registration following mounting international pressure.