UN experts demand safe passage for Freedom Flotilla to Gaza

UN experts on Friday demanded safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition whose ships departing Turkiye will be carrying 5,500 tonnes of humanitarian aid and hundreds of international humanitarian observers to the besieged Gaza Strip. In a joint statement, the experts expressed concern for the safety of participants in light of Israel's repeated attacks against UN and civilian humanitarian missions and warned Israel to refrain from any hostility against the flotilla as the world is closely watching. They called on the Israeli occupation to adhere to international law including recent orders from the International Court of Justice to allow unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. The experts stated that the Freedom Flotilla has the right of free passage in international waters and the Israeli occupation must not interfere with its freedom of navigation. They also emphasized that countries supporting Israeli occupation with weapons, funds and political support may be complicit in its actions which amount to genocide and starvation, calling on the international community to fulfill its obligations to end Israeli occupation crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. The experts condemned Israeli occupation's 200-day siege and "genocidal violence" against Palestinians in Gaza including an "unprecedented starvation campaign". They added that after a 17-year blockade Israel has created a famine by cutting off the regular supply of water food and critical goods destroying livelihoods the food system and civilian infrastructure also restricting humanitarian aid by intentionally bombarding aid convoys and targeting both aid workers and civilians seeking assistance. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a peaceful civilian initiative comprising a diverse coalition of human rights activists including lawyers, doctors, nurses, journalists, parliamentarians and politicians whose aim is to deliver life-saving aid directly to the besieged people of Gaza and to legitimately challenge Israel's control over the entry of humanitarian aid. The Freedom Flotilla CoalitionÂ's demands include an immediate unconditional and permanent ceasefire unrestricted access to humanitarian aid and an end to the illegal blockade of the Gaza strip. The convoy is scheduled for imminent departure. In 2010 the Israeli occupation forces intercepted and attacked the Freedom FlotillaÂ's civilian ships in international waters killing 10 passengers and wounding many others. At the time the Freedom Flotilla had attempted to break the Israeli occupation blockade by delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. The statement issued by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian Territory Francesca Albanese and Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Balakrishnan Rajagopal. Source: Kuwait News Agency