[News] Gaza Sumud flotilla: How Israel breaks international maritime law

[Anti-Imperialist News]

News <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/>|Israel-Palestine conflict 
<https://www.aljazeera.com/tag/israel-palestine-conflict/>


  Gaza Sumud flotilla: How Israel breaks international maritime law

/The Global Sumud Flotilla says its fleet of over 50 ships has entered 
the ‘high-risk zone.’/

INTERACTIVE-MARITIME-BORDERS-POSTER-1758793008
(Al Jazeera)

By Hanna Duggal <https://www.aljazeera.com/author/duggalhaljazeera-net>

Published On 1 Oct 2025 
-https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/1/gaza-sumud-flotilla-how-israel-breaks-international-maritime-law

A Gaza-bound aid flotilla 
<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/9/2/live-geta-thunberg-once-more-on-board-sumud-flotilla-sailing-for-gaza> 
is currently sailing toward the enclave, entering a high-risk zone where 
previous missions have faced attacks and interceptions.

On Wednesday, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that the Israeli 
military is preparing to “take control” of the flotilla with naval 
commandos and warships. Israel wont tow all 50 vessels however and will 
sink some at sea, Kan said.

Israel intends to detain hundreds of activists on naval ships, question 
them then deport them via the port of Ashdod.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail from Spain on August 31, is 
the largest maritime mission to Gaza to date. It brings together more 
than 50 ships and delegations from at least 44 countries, as part of an 
international effort to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver 
aid to Gaza.

The map below shows the latest location:

INTERACTIVE Tracking the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza map light October 
1, 2025-1759292980(Al Jazeera)

So, is Israel entitled to board ships that are in international waters? 
The answer is no, here’s how territorial and international waters work.


    Which waters does a country control?

Coastal countries control the waters closest to their shores, called 
territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles (22km) from the 
coast. In this zone, the state has full sovereignty, just like over its 
land.

Beyond that, they have rights over up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) of 
ocean, including the water and seafloor. This area is called the 
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In the EEZ, countries can regulate 
activities such as fishing, mining, drilling, and other energy projects, 
while still allowing other countries freedom of navigation.

INTERACTIVE-Exclusive economic zone - SEPTEMBER 9, 2025-1758784357

France has the largest EEZ, covering approximately 10.7 million square 
kilometres (4.2 million sq miles), thanks to its overseas territories. 
It is followed by the US, Australia, Russia, and the UK.


    Where are international waters?

Covering about 64 percent of the ocean, the high seas lie beyond any 
country’s territorial waters and economic zones and are not controlled 
by a single state, with their use governed by international agreements.

INTERACTIVE-Exclusive economic zone - SEPTEMBER 9, 2025_1-1758784351


    What are the laws of the high seas?

The laws of the high seas are governed by the 1982 UN Convention on the 
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It stipulates that all states can enjoy freedom 
of movement of ships in the high seas and aircraft can fly freely.

Get instant alerts and updates based on your interests. Be the first to 
know when big stories happen.

It also allows the laying of subsea cables and pipelines, as well as 
fishing, scientific research and the construction of islands. All three 
of which are subject to international agreements and laws.

Ships that are on the high seas are subject to the jurisdiction of the 
flag they fly, except those conducting piracy and other unauthorised 
activities.


    Israel has attacked previous flotillas in international waters

Several Freedom Flotilla vessels have attempted to break the blockade of 
Gaza since 2010. All were intercepted or attacked by Israel, mostly in 
international waters where it has no territorial rights.

The most deadly occurred on May 31, 2010, when Israeli commandos raided 
the Mavi Marmara in international waters. The commandos killed 10 
activists, most of them Turkish, and injured dozens more, sparking 
global outrage and severely straining Israel-Turkiye relations.

The map below shows the approximate locations where prominent flotillas 
were stopped, some encountering deadly Israeli forces.

INTERACTIVE_freedom_flotilla_PREVIOUS_September 10 _2025 copy 
2-1757486722(Al Jazeera)

In 2024, amid ongoing flotilla missions delivering humanitarian aid to 
Gaza, UN experts stated that: “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.”

The Sumud Flotilla had been sailing through international waters and 
into Palestinian territorial waters, where it has the legal right to 
navigate and deliver humanitarian aid.

According to Stephen Cotton, the General Secretary of the International 
Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), representing more than 16.5 million 
transport workers globally, “The law of the sea is clear: attacking or 
seizing non-violent, humanitarian vessels in international waters is 
illegal and unacceptable.”

“Such actions endanger lives and undermine the basic principles that 
keep the seas safe for all. This is not only about seafarers, it’s about 
the safety of everyone at sea, whether on a commercial ship, a 
humanitarian vessel, or a fishing boat. States cannot pick and choose 
when to respect international law. The seas must not be turned into a 
theatre of war.”  Cotton told Al Jazeera.

According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the mission is not only 
lawful but also protected under a comprehensive set of international 
legal instruments. Including:

INTERACTIVE GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA LAWS-1758784362

  * *The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)* –
    Guarantees freedom of navigation on the high seas
  * *San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts
    at Sea* – Prohibits blockades that cause starvation or
    disproportionate suffering and forbids the targeting of neutral
    humanitarian missions
  * *UN Security Council Resolutions 2720 and 2728* – These binding
    instruments demand unimpeded humanitarian access and the removal of
    all barriers to aid delivery
  * *Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
    Genocide* – Includes the prevention of acts deliberately endangering
    civilians
  * *Fourth Geneva Convention* – Imposes an obligation to permit the
    free passage of humanitarian aid and prohibit interference with
    relief operations and the targeting of civilian infrastructure
  * *Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court* – Criminalises
    the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and willful
    obstruction of humanitarian aid.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20251001/b6f12d77/attachment.htm>