Responding to reports that Israeli forces have intercepted at least 39 vessels and detained dozens of crew members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attempting to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver essential humanitarian aid to the occupied Gaza Strip, amidst Israel’s ongoing genocide, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard said:
“Israel’s forceful interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels and detention of its crew off the coast of Gaza is a brazen assault against solidarity activists carrying out an entirely peaceful humanitarian mission. This seizure comes after weeks of threats and incitement by Israeli officials against the flotilla and its participants and after several attempts to sabotage some of its ships.
“By continuing to actively block vital aid to a population against whom Israel is committing genocide, including by inflicting famine, Israel is once again demonstrating its utter contempt for the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice and its own obligations as the occupying power to ensure Palestinians in Gaza have access to sufficient food and lifesaving humanitarian assistance.
“The crew of the intercepted vessels must be immediately and unconditionally released. Their detention is unlawful, and Israel must be held fully accountable for their safety and ensure they are protected against any form of ill-treatment pending their release.
“This interception is not just about blocking aid; it is a calculated act of intimidation intended to punish and silence critics of Israel’s genocide and its unlawful blockade on Gaza. The incitement and threats that preceded it are also a shameless attempt to demonize peaceful solidarity initiatives seeking to end Israel’s genocide and the cruel blockade it has imposed on Gaza since 2007 and significantly tightened since October 2023. We are gravely concerned for the safety of all those who have been detained so far, particularly Arab delegates and solidarity activists who have been targeted by an inflammatory smear campaign.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla, whose crew composed of human rights defenders, doctors, parliamentarians, activists and journalists from over 40 countries, and other previous peaceful initiatives that attempted to break Israel’s unlawful blockade, have emerged as a powerful symbol of solidarity with besieged, starved and suffering Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The very fact that they had to set sail in the first place is a clear indictment of the international community’s persistent failure to end Israel’s ongoing genocide and to ensure the unhindered flow of aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
“The time for mere condemnation is over. States worldwide must act now and now make clear that they will no longer tolerate Israel’s systematic starvation of Palestinians in Gaza nor its targeting of unarmed civilian humanitarian efforts. The decades-long impunity for Israel’s blatant violations of international law must end, nothing can justify genocide.
“States must demand the immediate and safe return of all those detained and allow unhindered access to Gaza for the other ships. They must also press Israel to lift its suffocating 18-year blockade and allow humanitarian aid to be delivered through all crossings into and throughout Gaza now.”
