UN Expert Condemns Israeli Interception of Freedom Flotilla as Illegal

A United Nations human rights expert has condemned Israel’s interception of ships belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in international waters, calling it a serious breach of international law and a violation of the rights and safety of civilians, including journalists and humanitarian workers aboard.

The incident occurred early Wednesday morning (8 October), when Israeli military forces reportedly intercepted and boarded multiple vessels, including the Conscience, the flagship of the flotilla. The ships were attempting to deliver humanitarian aid and raise awareness of Gaza’s ongoing blockade, which the UN and rights groups have long described as collective punishment in violation of international law.

“An Attack on Unarmed Civilians”

“This attack against unarmed civilians on the high seas is yet another violation of international law by Israel,” said Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, in a strongly worded statement issued from Geneva.

According to eyewitness accounts and reports from flotilla organizers, an Israeli military helicopter and naval forces carried out the operation in international waters, before escorting the seized boats and their passengers to Ashdod port. The move, Khan stressed, constitutes an unauthorized military action beyond Israeli territorial jurisdiction.

“Israel must guarantee the safety and human rights of all individuals aboard the vessels,” she said. “These were unarmed civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest and humanitarian solidarity.”

Journalists and Humanitarian Workers Among the Detained

The Conscience, carrying 92 passengers, included journalists, medical professionals, and human rights defenders from more than a dozen countries. Sixteen of them were international journalists representing major media outlets from ten nations, who joined the voyage in solidarity with Palestinian reporters working under extreme conditions in Gaza.

The flotilla’s mission aimed to draw global attention to Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, now in its 17th year, and to deliver essential medical and relief supplies amid what the UN describes as a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

Following the interception, passengers were detained and reportedly transferred to Israeli detention facilities. Khan expressed grave concern over reports of mistreatment and the lack of immediate access to legal representation and consular services.

“Israel has an obligation to ensure the rights of all those being arbitrarily detained,” Khan said. “That includes protection from torture and ill-treatment, access to healthcare, and immediate communication with lawyers and their diplomatic representatives.”

Press Freedom Under Fire

Khan’s statement placed particular emphasis on the freedom of the press, warning that the interception of the flotilla constitutes yet another attempt to suppress independent media coverage of the situation in Gaza.

“These courageous journalists were sailing in solidarity with their Palestinian colleagues, who have borne the brunt of reporting at great personal risk,” she said.

According to international media watchdogs, over 252 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the beginning of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Many were reportedly deliberately targeted to silence coverage of alleged war crimes and humanitarian abuses.

Khan noted that Israel continues to bar foreign journalists from entering Gaza, imposing one of the strictest media access bans in modern conflict zones. The flotilla’s mission was intended to challenge that restriction, asserting the right to report freely from areas affected by war and occupation.

“The international community must demand that Israel grant immediate and unrestricted access to international media into Gaza,” Khan urged. “The efforts of journalists on the Freedom Flotilla must not be in vain.”

Violations of International Maritime and Humanitarian Law

Legal experts have underscored that Israel’s interception in international waters—if confirmed—represents a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which prohibits states from exercising enforcement jurisdiction outside their territorial waters except under specific conditions, such as piracy or slave trade suppression.

Human rights organizations have likened the operation to the 2010 Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, part of a similar humanitarian flotilla to Gaza, in which 10 activists were killed. That incident prompted widespread international condemnation and investigations by the UN Human Rights Council, which found that Israel’s use of force violated international law.

The latest interception, experts warn, could again escalate diplomatic tensions and prompt calls for independent investigation and accountability.

Gaza’s Blockade and the Humanitarian Crisis

Since 2007, Israel has imposed a land, air, and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip, controlling the movement of goods, fuel, and people. The blockade has crippled Gaza’s economy, decimated infrastructure, and left over 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in what humanitarian agencies have described as an “open-air prison.”

UN agencies, including OCHA, WHO, and UNICEF, have repeatedly warned of catastrophic conditions: food insecurity, collapsing hospitals, and a lack of clean water and medicine. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a global civil society network, has organized numerous humanitarian missions to challenge the blockade and deliver aid, despite repeated Israeli interdictions.

A Call for Accountability and Human Rights Protection

Khan reiterated that freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest are fundamental under international human rights law. The participants of the flotilla, she said, were exercising these rights “in defense of humanity and justice.”

“Those who were intercepted have the right to free expression and the freedom to express solidarity with the people of Palestine,” Khan said. “Israel has an obligation to respect those rights.”

She called on Israel to immediately release all detained passengers, ensure their safety, and facilitate an independent investigation into the incident.

Khan’s statement concludes with a broader appeal to the international community: to uphold the rule of law at sea, protect journalistic freedom, and demand an end to the blockade that continues to fuel one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.