UN Experts Demand Safe Passage for Gaza Aid Ship Amid Mounting Starvation

A group of United Nations human rights experts has issued an urgent call for the international community to ensure the safe passage of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's latest humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza. The vessel, which departed from Italy on 1 June 2025, is carrying desperately needed medical supplies, food, and baby essentials for civilians trapped in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“This initiative is a powerful act of global solidarity,” the experts said. “Aid is desperately needed to forestall annihilation in Gaza, and the Freedom Flotilla is a lifeline. Israel should remember that the world is watching and must refrain from any hostile action against the ship or its passengers.”

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a civil society initiative composed of international human rights defenders, humanitarian workers, and volunteers, seeking to deliver aid directly to Gaza’s population through maritime routes. This mission comes after a previous vessel from the Coalition was attacked by a drone off the coast of Malta in May 2025, an act the UN experts strongly condemned.

International Law and Maritime Rights at Stake

The experts stressed that the Coalition’s vessel is entitled to free navigation through international waters and safe passage into Gaza’s territorial waters, which remain part of the occupied Palestinian territory. Under international law, even during an occupation, the occupied population retains the right to receive humanitarian assistance.

“The blockade that Israel has imposed on Gaza for 17 years is unlawful and inhumane,” they said. “Since 2 March 2025, Israel has enforced a total siege, preventing all entry of humanitarian goods for more than 80 days, except for a very limited flow of aid in recent weeks. This is a direct violation of international humanitarian law and numerous UN resolutions.”

They also noted that Israel’s obstruction of aid violates provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March 2024, which acknowledged that conditions of famine and starvation in Gaza posed a risk of genocide.

Criminal Accountability and Genocidal Acts

In a particularly strong rebuke, the UN experts referred to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) issuance of an arrest warrant in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare. Despite this, on 1 March 2025, Netanyahu ordered a total halt to aid entry into Gaza, an act described by the experts as “a flagrant defiance of international law.”

“More than six hundred days into Israel’s starvation campaign, the situation in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of horror,” they warned. “The widespread destruction, displacement, and use of hunger as a weapon of war are unmistakable markers of genocidal violence.”

Reports from humanitarian organizations indicate that acute child malnutrition in Gaza surged by over 80% in March 2025. Thousands of civilians, especially children and the elderly, are suffering from disease, dehydration, and preventable deaths due to the lack of access to food, medicine, and safe water.

Weaponisation of Aid and Calls for Accountability

The UN experts specifically denounced the practices of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an entity reportedly supported by both Israel and the United States, accusing it of manipulating aid flows to control and displace Palestinian civilians.

“Aid should never be used as a tool to corral, humiliate, or displace people,” they said. “These actions violate the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence, which are the cornerstone of humanitarian work.”

They pointed to the buildup of aid trucks at the Rafah crossing, which have been prevented from entering Gaza due to bureaucratic obstructions and military restrictions. “This is not a logistical failure,” the experts emphasized. “It is a deliberate, cruel, and systematic policy of starvation. The world’s inaction in the face of this policy makes it complicit.”

A Plea to the Global Community

The UN experts urged the international community, particularly Member States of the United Nations, to intervene immediately to stop the suffering in Gaza. They called on the UN General Assembly to invoke the 'Uniting for Peace' resolution, which allows for emergency action when the UN Security Council is unable to act due to deadlock.

They proposed the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission to accompany humanitarian aid convoys into Gaza to ensure safe, unimpeded access and to protect aid workers and civilians alike.

“This is not just a legal obligation, it is a moral imperative,” they said. “The world cannot stand by while civilians are systematically starved, displaced, and subjected to collective punishment. The time to act is now.”

As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s ship nears Palestinian waters, the next few days may be pivotal. Whether Israel respects international law and allows safe passage—or repeats past violent interdictions—will not only determine the fate of the mission but also reveal the international community’s resolve to uphold human rights and humanitarian principles.