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IDF raids Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters — Where is the ...
Listen 0:00 / 0:00 1.0x Israel’s interception of the Freedom Flotilla has intensified debate over the limits of state power at sea, raising questions about jurisdiction in international waters and the legality of the Gaza blockade. Between 29th and 30th April 2026, Israeli naval forces intercepted 22 boats belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters to the west of Crete. The boats were carrying activists and humanitarian supplies in an attempt to challenge the blockade of Gaza and deliver aid. On 1 May, 173 of the 175 participants were transferred to Crete while two of them, Thiago Ávila from Brazil and Saif Abukeshek, a Palestinian with Spanish and Swedish citizenship, were deported and detained in Israel on charges of “membership of a terrorist organization”. The location of the incident was roughly 500-600 nautical miles from Gaza, and about 45 nautical miles west of the Greek island of Kythira, fully open sea, governed by the high seas regime of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS. Under this Convention, vessels on the high seas fall under the jurisdiction of their State. Therefore, Israel had no automatic legal right to board or seize these ships simply because of their proximity to Greece or their intended destination. Based on participant testimonies and evidence, boarding was not a neutral or minimally forceful procedure, as Israeli forces approached in military vessels, pointed firearms and lasers at civilians and ordered passengers to kneel on deck. Communications and navigation systems were reportedly jammed. Additionally, detainees and their legal representatives have alleged mistreatment, which includes physical restraint, blindfolding, and isolation during transfer and detention. Organizers immediately described the operation as “piracy,” invoking UNCLOS definitions concerning unlawful seizure at sea for coercive or political purposes. READ: Trump’s new Iran negotiator is Israel lobbyist who denounced talks with Tehran Meanwhile, the interception occurred well outside Greek territorial waters, which limited Greece’s formal jurisdiction. Greek authorities emphasised that their role was limited to search and rescue operations and providing humanitarian assistance, rather than enforcing the law against foreign naval forces. Nevertheless, Greece facilitated the disembarkation of detained activists, coordinated medical care and arranged their repatriation, all the while calling for respect for international law, cr...
Israel must immediately release Gaza-bound Flotilla activists, say UN ...
GENEVA - Decrying attacks against civilians seeking to break the siege on Gaza and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid, UN experts* today demanded the immediate release of Global Sumud Flotilla activists unlawfully arrested and detained in international waters.
Israel's Gaza-bound flotilla interception raises legal, humanitarian ...
Israeli naval forces intercepted the Gaza bound Global Sumud Flotilla near Crete in May 2026. The action sparked international outcry and legal debates regarding the detention of activists and the enforcement of a maritime blockade in international waters hundreds of miles from the coastline.
UN experts condemn Israel's interception of Gaza aid flotilla, demand ...
LONDON: A group of UN experts on Friday condemned Israel's interception of a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza and called for the immediate release of activists detained during the operation ...
