War crime at sea: Sumud global fleet targeted in defiance of international law

Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that several ships of the Sumud Global Fleet, which is sailing in the Mediterranean to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, have been hit by multiple drone attacks.

According to media sources, at least 15 drones flew over a number of the convoy’s vessels and 12 direct drone strikes were carried out against nine boats. More than 13 explosions were heard around the ships, and there were reports of unknown objects being dropped on 10 boats, causing damage.

A spokesman for the fleet said that in the past 24 hours alone more than 15 drones flew over the boat Alma. He also reported widespread disruption to the fleet’s communications systems.

Meanwhile, reports say some drones dropped substances smelling of gunpowder onto the ships, but fortunately no human casualties have been reported so far.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, while condemning the attacks, stressed that immediate measures must be taken to protect the vessels of this humanitarian fleet.

In a statement issued by the Sumud Fleet, it was warned that the Zionist regime, by launching a propaganda campaign and spreading misleading information, is preparing the ground for a possible military attack on this humanitarian convoy. The statement described any assault on the fleet as a war crime and a blatant violation of international law.

Greg Stoker, an American human-rights activist who is travelling with the fleet, says the Zionist regime will continue to attack Sumud to divert attention from its war on Gaza.

Stoker wrote on social media: “Now that the initial drama of the attack on the fleet has calmed, please bear in mind that this will likely happen every night. Israel wants your focus taken off Gaza and put on us. We appreciate your support, but stay focused and orderly and don’t be drawn in.”

Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament who is aboard the fleet, wrote to French President Emmanuel Macron after the predawn attacks on the aid vessels en route to Gaza: “Several French citizens are on this fleet. These attacks must stop.”

The Sumud Global Fleet approached the border area between international waters and Greece’s territorial waters near the island of Crete on Tuesday, 23 September.

Reports say Greek boats and ships are expected to join the fleet off Crete so they can proceed together toward Palestinian territorial waters. The convoy is expected to reach Gaza within six days.

The fleet — which set out roughly 23 days ago — includes dozens of boats and ships from about 50 countries and is the largest maritime mission to try to break the blockade of Gaza.

This is the first time so many vessels have set out collectively toward Gaza.

Sumud Fleet’s response to the Zionist regime

The Sumud Global Fleet issued a statement in response to Israel’s demand that it docks in Israeli-controlled territory and hand over its cargo to Israeli authorities.

Israel’s foreign ministry claimed it would organize the transfer of the fleet’s aid to Gaza — where the ongoing blockade has led to famine.

The organizers of the Sumud Global Fleet replied:

Israel’s request to dock and transfer aid is part of the ongoing blockade of Gaza.

Israel’s recent foreign ministry request to dock and transfer humanitarian aid through the port of Ashkelon cannot be understood as a neutral logistical request. It is part of a longstanding pattern: Israel’s deliberate obstruction of aid to Gaza and its efforts to delegitimize those who challenge its illegal blockade.

Israel’s rhetoric against the Sumud Global Fleet creates a pretext for further escalation. Portraying a peaceful humanitarian mission as unlawful gives cover for violence against civilians who are lawfully attempting to deliver aid. Amnesty International has previously warned that such threats violate international law and put lives at risk.

We state clearly that the international community must not treat these demands as safe operational instructions. They are a continuation of a blockade that independent UN investigators have described as a form of collective punishment and part of the ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza.

We call on states, UN agencies, and humanitarian organizations to ensure safe passage and protection for aid workers, medical facilities, and civilians; to uphold international humanitarian law by rejecting Israel’s illegal blockade and supporting efforts that deliver assistance directly to the people of Gaza; and to act decisively to end the ongoing genocide.