Amnesty International's Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria sections on Tuesday urged Arab League states to act urgently to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla, currently sailing toward Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. They stressed that governments have a legal duty to safeguard their nationals taking part, as well as a moral and political responsibility toward Gaza. The joint statement called on Arab states to publicly condemn any attack on the flotilla, demand immediate protection for all participants, and use diplomatic, legal, and consular channels to prevent violations of their rights. «Nothing justifies intercepting a peaceful humanitarian initiative. Nothing justifies obstructing aid to a starving, besieged, and bombed population», it declared. The warning comes as Israeli media reported that a military interception could take place overnight, around 180 km off Gaza's coast, far beyond Israeli territorial waters. Amnesty said any such operation to stop the flotilla, detain its crews, and expel them would constitute «serious violations of international law», including obstructing humanitarian aid (a war crime), arbitrary detention of volunteers and journalists, and breaches of detention and expulsion safeguards. The Global Sumud Flotilla is a civilian, non-violent initiative bringing together more than 40 boats and hundreds of participants from 44 countries, including many from the Maghreb, the Arab world, and the Global South. Organizers say their goal is to break the blockade Israel has imposed on Gaza for 18 years, which has been tightened further since October 2023 amid famine, a collapsed health system, and total siege conditions.
