The International Affairs Bureau of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN) firmly condemns the Israeli military’s unlawful interception and attack on the humanitarian vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla. This brazen act constitutes a flagrant violation of fundamental principles of international law and demands an immediate international response.
1. Clear Violation of Maritime Sovereignty and High Seas Freedoms
Israel’s interception of civilian humanitarian vessels in international waters represents a serious breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which most nations are bound.
Under UNCLOS, coastal states such as Israel only exercise sovereignty up to 12 nautical miles from their shore. The flotilla was navigating in international waters, where all states enjoy freedom of navigation as protected under Articles 87 and 90 of UNCLOS. Israel’s interception far beyond its territorial sea constitutes an unlawful assertion of jurisdiction where it has none.
Most importantly, Flag State Protection has been violated in this attack. According to Article 92 of UNCLOS, ships on the high seas remain under the exclusive jurisdiction of their flag state. By attacking vessels flying various national flags, Israel has committed acts of aggression against multiple sovereign nations.
2. The Blockade Itself is Illegal Under International Law
Israel’s blockade of Gaza since 2007 violates fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and constitutes collective punishment, which is strictly prohibited.
A blockade lasting 18 years cannot be considered a temporary measure of armed conflict as contemplated by the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea. This prolonged suffocation of an entire population transforms the blockade from a military measure into an instrument of collective punishment.
The Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits collective punishment under Article 33, which states unequivocally that “no protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.” Multiple UN experts and organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, have consistently condemned the Gaza blockade as illegal collective punishment.
3. The Blockade as a Tool of Genocide and Starvation
The systematic deprivation of humanitarian aid through this illegal blockade forms part of the machinery of genocide and constitutes starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as including “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.” The blockade creates precisely such conditions for Palestinians in Gaza.
Equally, this blockade leads to deliberate starvation and is used as an illegal method of warfare. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court explicitly criminalizes “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare” under Article 8(2)(b)(xxv). By blocking humanitarian aid shipments, Israel violates this fundamental prohibition.
4. Legal Obligations of Flag States and National Authorities
This attack creates immediate legal obligations for the flag states of the vessels involved and their national law enforcement authorities.
Under Flag State Jurisdiction, each flag state whose vessel was attacked on the high seas must assert its jurisdiction over these violations. The abduction of persons from vessels of various nations constitutes serious criminal acts under both international and domestic legal systems.
Similarly, under Domestic Prosecution Obligations, national police forces — including the UK’s Metropolitan Police — have both the authority and obligation to investigate and prosecute these crimes of illegal seizure and abduction committed against their nationals and flagged vessels on the high seas.
5. Call to Action
KEADILAN demands immediate action from the international community:
1.The United Nations Security Council must convene an emergency session to condemn Israel’s actions and authorize measures to protect future humanitarian missions to Gaza.
2.Flag States must exercise their right to protect vessels flying their flag by initiating legal proceedings against those responsible for these unlawful attacks.
3.The International Criminal Court must accelerate investigations into the situation in Palestine, with specific attention to the blockade as a potential mechanism of genocide and starvation crimes.
4.Member States of UNCLOS must hold Israel accountable for its systematic violations of the convention’s provisions regarding freedom of navigation.
The Global Sumud Flotilla represents a lawful exercise of humanitarian solidarity protected under international law. Israel’s attack on these vessels constitutes not only a violation of maritime law but complicity in the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
We stand in firm solidarity with the Palestinian people and with all those undertaking lawful humanitarian action to alleviate their suffering. The international community must now move beyond statements of concern to concrete actions that uphold international law and protect civilian lives.
Issued by:
International Affairs Bureau
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN)
