An international civilian convoy of around 40 small vessels carrying aid, journalists, activists, and doctors set sail to attempt to deliver humanitarian supplies to Palestinians and challenge Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza. Israeli forces intercepted and detained many participants, resulting in strong opinions and conversations regarding the legality of the situation.
Israel’s Interception
Israel maintains its stance that it enforces a lawful naval blockade of Gaza simply for security reasons. It points to the supposed strong Hamas presence in the Gaza Strip and the potential risk of weapons or dangerous material being given to the group by foreign organizations. Therefore, Israel claims it has the right under the law of naval warfare to stop, board, and redirect vessels that attempt to breach the blockade. Israel claimed that their foreign ministry had previously warned the flotilla group that their “attempt to enter an active combat zone and breach the blockade will also be prevented,” and that this was no surprise to any of the activists, politicians, and civilians on the flotilla.
Global Sumud’s Basis
The activists on the flotilla label the Global Sumud as a peaceful humanitarian mission intended to deliver urgent medical supplies and to highlight what they call an “illegal siege” that is worsening a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They argue that the blockade and measures that prevent essential aid from reaching civilians violate international humanitarian and human rights law, and that peaceful civilian ships carrying aid have a right of passage and to deliver relief. Participants and some UN experts have condemned the interceptions, calling for protection of civilians and safe passage. Greta Thunberg and other activists reported harsh treatment in custody, and strong diplomatic concern followed.
What Is the Legality?
Under international law, a blockade can be lawful only if it is declared, effectively enforced, and does not block access to neutral states’ ports (in this case, if Israel’s blockade blocked Egypt). A blockade must also permit the passage of humanitarian assistance if needed. If a blockade is lawful, a blockading state may stop and board ships in international waters to enforce it. However, there are limits to a blockade’s abilities: first, the blockading party may decide where, when, and through which port humanitarian assistance can reach the coast. In addition, the state may require that a neutral organization on the coast control the distribution of these items. In the case of the Global Sumud Flotilla, though, Israel denies neutral aid from being given to citizens residing in Gaza. This angers activists and civilians, and that, along with other details, recently urged the UN to recognize the conflict in Gaza as a genocide. Furthermore, in the past, activists or violators of a blockade that were detained by Israel were not criminally prosecuted, and instead their presence was treated as an immigration matter. However, several members of the Global Sumud Fotilla were detained by Israeli officials violated the rights of the crew members by denying their access to water, sanitation, medicine, or legal representation.
Why Does This Matter?
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has been twisted in a way that has affected the lives of several average civilian families residing in the Gaza Strip. Representing them, as well as activists such as Greta Thunberg, is becoming increasingly important to youth. Thunberg’s participation shows how teen activism is expanding from environmentalism into broader humanitarian and political advocacy. Additionally, the flotilla raises questions about what it means to make change in a complex world. Many young people see themselves as part of a global community and want to stand up for those suffering under injustice or war, but this event shows how activism sometimes collides with real legal, diplomatic, and ethical constraints. Most students learn about concepts like sovereignty, the Geneva Conventions, and humanitarian law in theory, but this conflict illustrates how messy those principles become when governments, activists, and civilians all claim legality on their side, and how to handle that on a global scale. It’s vital to all, but especially the growing generation, to be exposed to conflicts like this and learn how to evaluate and handle the issue in an educated manner.
