NEW YORK (Palestine Foundation Information Center) UN experts have called for ensuring the safe passage of the “Madleen” ship, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and carrying essential medical supplies, food, and children’s items, as it makes its way to Gaza.
In a statement issued Monday, the experts stressed the urgent need for aid “to prevent annihilation,” describing the initiative as a “symbolic yet powerful effort to deliver relief.” They warned that “Israel must remember the world is watching closely and must refrain from any hostile action against the Freedom Flotilla and its passengers.”
The statement affirmed that “the people of Gaza have the right to receive humanitarian aid via their territorial waters, even under occupation. The coalition’s vessel has the right to freedom of navigation in international waters to reach Gaza’s residents. Israel must not interfere with maritime freedom, which has long been recognized under international law.”
The experts expressed grave concern for the safety of those onboard, citing repeated Israeli attacks on human rights defenders, UN humanitarian missions, and civilian delegations. A similar vessel sent by the coalition in early May was struck by a drone off the coast of Malta.
The experts continued, “Israel has imposed a total blockade on Gaza for 17 years. Since March 2, 2025, this blockade has become absolute, preventing aid from entering the Strip for over 80 days. Only minimal supplies have been allowed in recently.”
They emphasized that as the flotilla nears Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, Israel is obligated under international law and the International Court of Justice’s orders to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian relief.
In March 2024, the International Court of Justice issued provisional measures recognizing the spread of famine in Gaza as a sign of impending genocide. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for the war crime of starvation. Yet, on March 1, 2025, Netanyahu announced a complete halt to all goods and supply entry into Gaza, in what the experts called a blatant defiance of international law.
“After more than 600 days of Israel’s starvation campaign and genocidal violence against Palestinians in Gaza, the situation has reached its most horrific phase,” they added.
The experts strongly condemned the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the humanitarian body supported by Israel and the US, for weaponizing aid to displace, humiliate, and detain civilians. They stated that this violates international legal principles of dignity, humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality, highlighting that severe child malnutrition surged by over 80% in March.
“The buildup of aid trucks at the Rafah crossing while civilians starve and die is not a coordination failure — it is a deliberate use of humanitarian aid as a weapon. The international community appears complicit.”
Finally, they urged UN member states to fulfill their legal and moral duty to stop the famine and genocide in Gaza, calling on the UN General Assembly to deploy peacekeeping forces to escort aid convoys under the ‘Uniting for Peace’ provision of the UN Charter.
