The largest maritime mission yet to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza is now at sea. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Spain on August 31, brings together more than 50 ships and delegations from 44 countries, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and defy Israel’s restrictions on the enclave.
But reports from Israel’s public broadcaster Kan indicate that the Israeli military is preparing to intercept the flotilla with naval commandos and warships, with plans to seize some ships, detain activists, and sink others at sea. The question dominating headlines: Does Israel have the right to board or attack humanitarian ships in international waters?
Who controls the seas?
Under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), coastal states have sovereignty over territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles (22 km) from their shore. Beyond that, up to 200 nautical miles (370 km), lies the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where states can regulate resource use but not navigation.
In international waters (the high seas), all vessels enjoy freedom of navigation and remain under the jurisdiction of the state whose flag they fly. Interference is prohibited, except in cases of piracy or clearly unlawful activity.
Previous flotilla incidents
Israel has intercepted and attacked flotillas in international waters before. The deadliest came on May 31, 2010, when Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, killing 10 activists and wounding dozens. That raid, carried out in international waters, sparked worldwide outrage and severely strained Israel-Turkiye relations.
UN experts in 2024 reiterated:
“The Freedom Flotilla has the right of free passage in international waters, and Israel must not interfere with its freedom of navigation, long recognised under international law.”
What the law says about humanitarian missions
According to legal experts and humanitarian organisations, the Sumud Flotilla’s mission is lawful and protected by a framework of international agreements, including:
UNCLOS – Guarantees freedom of navigation on the high seas.
San Remo Manual – Forbids blockades that cause starvation or disproportionate civilian suffering and protects neutral humanitarian missions.
UN Security Council Resolutions 2720 & 2728 – Demand unimpeded humanitarian access and the removal of barriers to aid delivery.
Fourth Geneva Convention – Requires the free passage of humanitarian aid and bans interference with relief operations.
Rome Statute of the ICC – Criminalises the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and deliberate obstruction of aid.
Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), representing 16.5 million workers worldwide, told Al Jazeera:
“The law of the sea is clear: attacking or seizing non-violent, humanitarian vessels in international waters is illegal and unacceptable. States cannot pick and choose when to respect international law. The seas must not be turned into a theatre of war.”
The stakes of the Sumud Flotilla
For activists and international law experts, the Sumud Flotilla represents more than aid delivery—it is a direct challenge to Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, widely condemned as unlawful. If Israeli forces intercept the mission in international waters, it could trigger renewed diplomatic fallout and intensify legal debates over humanitarian access in conflict zones.
As the flotilla sails closer to Gaza, the world is watching not only to see whether aid will reach its destination—but also whether the rules of the sea, humanitarian law, and the right to safe navigation will be upheld.
