Indonesia and Nine Countries Say Israel's Attack on Global Sumud Flotilla Violates International Law

Israeli naval commandos intercepting the Global Sumud Flotilla. (Source: Global Sumud Flotilla)

JAKARTA - Indonesia along with nine other countries expressed concern over Israel's intervention against the humanitarian fleet that was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, considering it a violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives, Pakistan and Spain "condemned in the strongest terms Israel's recent attack on the Global Sumud Fleet, a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing international attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people."

"The ministers recall with deep concern the Israeli intervention against previous fleets in international waters and condemn the continuation of hostile actions targeting civilian ships and humanitarian activists. Such attacks, including attacks on ships and arbitrary detention of activists, are clear violations of international law and international humanitarian law," the foreign ministers said in a joint statement quoted from the X account of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tuesday (19/5).

"The ministers expressed serious concern about the safety and security of civilian participants of the fleet and called for the immediate release of all detained activists, as well as full respect for their rights and dignity," he continued.

Israel's military intercepted a flotilla of aid bound for the Gaza Strip on Monday after sailing from Turkey last week, with organizers saying one of the ships was stopped off the coast of Cyprus.

"Military ships are currently intercepting our fleet and IDF forces are currently boarding our first ship in broad daylight," Global Sumud Flotilla wrote on X, Al Arabiya reported from AFP.

"We demand safe passage for our legitimate and non-violent humanitarian mission. The government must act now to stop these illegal or piracy actions intended to maintain Israel's genocidal siege on Gaza," he continued.

"Normalizing the occupation's violence is a threat to us all," the statement said.

The latest Global Sumud fleet is the third initiative in a year aimed at breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza, which has suffered severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023.

The fleet, consisting of 50 ships, sailed from Turkey on Thursday last week. Previously, a similar fleet was intercepted by Israel last month. Last year, a similar fleet was also intercepted by Israel.

Quoted from The Times of Israel, the Israeli Navy commando forces boarded the first ship in the humanitarian convoy off the coast of Cyprus.

As of Monday afternoon, 16 ships were reported to have been intercepted.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the interception, while visiting the Israeli Navy's operational headquarters in Kirya, Tel Aviv, accompanied by Israeli Defense Minister Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and received a briefing from the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Eyal Harel, according to Netanyahu's office.

Netanyahu told the commander of the Israeli Navy, which intercepted the fleet, that they managed to stop the ships with much less noise than the organizers had planned.

"You are doing a tremendous job, both in the first fleet and in this part, and effectively thwarting the evil plans aimed at breaking the isolation we have imposed on the Hamas terrorists in Gaza," he told the commander of the Navy Missile Ship Fleet, the main force of the Navy in surface warfare, via a naval radio.

The latest Global Sumud fleet is the third initiative in a year aimed at breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza, which has suffered severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023.

The fleet, consisting of 50 ships, sailed from Turkey on Thursday last week. Previously, a similar fleet was intercepted by Israel last month. Last year, a similar fleet was also intercepted by Israel.

The latest Global Sumud fleet is the third initiative in a year aimed at breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza, which has suffered severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023.

The fleet, consisting of 50 ships, sailed from Turkey on Thursday last week. Previously, a similar fleet was intercepted by Israel last month. Last year, a similar fleet was also intercepted by Israel.

Last year, Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving about 50 ships and about 500 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, and several European parliamentarians.

The foreign ministers stressed, "repeated attacks on peaceful humanitarian initiatives reflect a continued disregard for international law and freedom of navigation. They urge the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, ensure protection for civilians and humanitarian missions, and take concrete steps to end impunity and ensure accountability for these violations."