Israel’s seizure of Gaza flotilla violates international law
The interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, with most of the activists on the boats being detained by the Israeli forces (as of 6:15pm, Bangladesh time), is a clear violation of international law. The flotilla, which includes more than 40 civilian boats and about 500 activists, is carrying basic humanitarian aid—food and medicine—for war-torn Gaza, where a genocide continues and starvation has set in.
According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the mission is lawful and protected under a comprehensive set of international legal instruments. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) guarantees freedom of navigation on the high seas. Security Council Resolutions 2720 and 2728 are binding instruments and demand unimpeded humanitarian access and the removal of all barriers to aid delivery. The Fourth Geneva Convention imposes an obligation to permit the free passage of humanitarian aid and prohibits interference with relief operations and the targeting of civilian infrastructure. These internationally accepted legal instruments, among others, confirm the legality of the flotilla and show that Israel is violating them by intercepting the fleet.
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Israel has intercepted boats carrying humanitarian aid many times before. The deadliest case was in 2010 when Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish ship that was a part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Clashes broke out and 10 activists were killed as a result, drawing global condemnation and straining Israel-Turkey relations. In June, environmental activist Greta Thunberg along with other activists departed from Catania, Sicily with food, medical supplies, baby formula and other essential goods. They, too, were intercepted and sent back home. This time, the flotilla is much bigger with a higher number of activists, many of whom have been detained by Israeli forces. Many countries, including Turkey, Malaysia, Colombia, and South Africa, have condemned such "illegal detention" of their citizens.
Even the UK, a close ally of Israel, has called for the country to solve the "atrocious humanitarian crisis" and allow the humanitarian aid from the flotilla to be handed to humanitarian organisations on the ground. Yet, Israel continues to bombard Gaza and kill Palestinians, while blocking humanitarian aid, resulting in the starvation of civilians, including infants. We applaud the courage and resolve of the Freedom Flotilla activists who have risked their lives to conduct this mission driven by their sense of humanity and outrage. These heroes must be left unharmed. While a US-proposed "peace plan" to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza is in the discourse, the international community must keep pressuring Israel to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid and allow the remaining Palestinians to get the food and medicine they so desperately need. The world cannot remain silent anymore.
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