16 countries demand protection of Gaza-bound aid flotilla, call for respect of international law

Sixteen countries on Tuesday issued a joint statement demanding protection for the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of boats carrying activists and humanitarian aid bound for the Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip.

The statement, released by South Africa’s Foreign Ministry, said the flotilla’s mission of delivering aid and raising awareness of Gaza’s urgent humanitarian needs aligns with their governments’ commitment to peace and respect for international humanitarian law.

“We therefore call on everyone to refrain from any unlawful or violent act against the flotilla, to respect international law and international humanitarian law,” the statement said.

It warned that any attack on the vessels in international waters, or the illegal detention of participants, would trigger accountability.

The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Qatar, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mexico, Pakistan, Oman, Slovenia, South Africa, and Spain.

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona, Spain, in late August, followed by another group of vessels from Genoa, Italy, on Sept. 1. By Sept. 7, ships from Spain and Italy had reached Tunisian shores, preparing to head toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade and open a humanitarian corridor.

By Sunday evening, 16 vessels had departed Tunisian ports of Gammarth, Bizerte and Sidi Bou Said, according to flotilla activists. The remaining ships anchored in Sidi Bou Said are expected to join at sea before sailing on to Gaza.

The current convoy is the largest of its kind, aiming to challenge the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where famine conditions have taken hold under Israel’s months-long closure of all crossings.

The Israeli army has killed almost 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.