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International Legal and Human Rights Academics Call for the safe passage of the Global Sumud Flotilla and Distribution of Aid in the Gaza Strip

* First published 8 September 2025
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Starvation, limiting access to medical supplies and curtailing freedom of movement have persisted as debilitating tactics among many others, since Israel declared the blockade over Gaza in 2007. Since then, while Palestinians have been urging the international community to take heed for a long time, numerous international and human rights organisations have warned against the grave humanitarian and human rights breaches, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Amnesty International, OXFAM, UNICEF, World Health Organisation, Human Rights Watch, Al Mezan, and Al-Haq. In 2008, the Free Gaza Movement successfully reached Gaza, breaking the Israeli naval blockade to deliver humanitarian aid. 

Now, the Global Sumud Flotilla is making a new attempt to break the ongoing illegal blockade. Its crew members are undertaking this mission despite the imminent threat of an aggressive Israeli raid – similar to the one faced by the Free Gaza Movement, which resulted in the deaths of nine activists and is currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court.

The Global Sumud Flotilla responds to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and specifically the unprecedented escalations over the past two years. Independent United Nations (UN) experts, along with international legal experts, have warned of Israel’s grave violations of international law as “spiralling towards a genocide conducted with 21st century means and methods of warfare”. Reports from UN Special Rapporteurs have documented Israel’s ongoing and systematic disregard for human rights in the Gaza Strip, including but not limited to the right to food, right to self-determination, right to adequate housing. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has also characterised the current situation in Gaza as plausibly amounting to genocide, ordering a list of interim measures in January 2024 including: ‘Israel shall take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip’. The ICJ Interim measures were followed by the modification of provisional measures calling for the immediate halt of military operations in May 2024. Since the ICJ provisional measures, there is mounting evidence of intentional starvation and denying access to humanitarian relief. 

In June 2025, the UN World Food Programme documented the ‘famine-like conditions’ in the Gaza strip. Shortly after in August 2025, 14 Member States of the UN Security Council declared “clearly and unequivocally” a famine in the Gaza Strip. Under Article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Rome Statute, ‘intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding relief supplies as provided for under the Geneva Conventions’, constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts. 

Given that UN experts have asserted the international character of the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the Global Sumud Flotilla constitutes an urgent action needed to break the illegal blockade over Gaza and deliver essential medical aid, baby formula, and food supplies. Constituted of grassroots groups, volunteers, and activists crewmembers who have undergone adequate checks under maritime law, the Global Sumud Flotilla  ‘fully complies with international law’ according to UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Yet, Israel’s response to the Conscience, the Madleen, and the Handala – that set sail as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition – has been marked by excessive force, aggressive interrogation, and illegal detention of the crewmembers, raising serious humanitarian and legal concerns. We have seen threats of similar harsh treatment concerning recent statements emerging from the Israeli Government.

Alongside the fleet, the Global Sumud Flotilla has set sail with academic members of the international legal community and international lawyers who are joined by a comprehensive team of international lawyers, genocide scholars, and legal and socio-legal academics providing support, bearing witness, and documenting violations of international law from hubs in Occupied Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Italy, Spain, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Cyprus and across the world online. 

Despite the peaceful humanitarian intent of delivering essential supplies such as food and medicine to the besieged civilians, the Global Sumud Flotilla has received aggressive threats by Israeli officials and excessive surveillance drones. Guaranteeing the safe passage of the Global Sumud Flotilla is a clear matter under international and humanitarian law. Article 23 of Geneva Convention outlines the duty of Contracting States to ‘allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of all relief consignments, equipment and personnel provided in accordance with this Section, even if such assistance is destined for the civilian population of the adverse Party.’ Article 70 of Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977, outlines a duty on all States, including transit States, to ‘allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of all relief consignments, equipment and personnel provided in accordance with this Section [of article 70], even if such assistance is destined for the civilian population of the adverse Party.’ Article 70 AP(I) is explicit in stating that “offers of such relief shall not be regarded as interference in the armed conflict or as unfriendly acts.” 

Any actions by Israel and other States that disrupt the facilitation of the rapid and unimpeded passage of relief aid, equipment, and personnel are a continuation of the illegal blockade and a violation of international law. To this effect, we urge for the safe passage of the vessels, to protect the humanitarian volunteers on the Global Sumud Flotilla and the distribution of the relief consignments in accordance with the outlined international legal frameworks, along with the safety of all onboard.

Signed, 

  1.  Dr Rehana Parveen, Associate Professor, University of Birmingham Law School
  2. Mohammad Shahabuddin, Professor of International Law and Human Rights, University of Birmingham
  3. Jo Bluen, PhD Researcher, London School of Economics and Political Science 
  4. Dr Shaimaa Abdelkarim, Assistant Professor, University of Birmingham
  5. Sumaiyah Kholwadia, PhD Researcher, University of Birmingham
  6. Thomas H. Nelson, Esq., Attorney at Law, Oregon State Bar Association
  7. Ragia Omran, Human Rights Lawyer, Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression
  8. Enrica Rigo, Associate Professor of Philosophy of Law, University of Roma Tre 
  9. Dr Heidi Matthews, Assistant Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School,York University
  10.  Paola Castillo Nevarez , PhD Researcher, University of Granada
  11.  Dr Kelly Jones, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Flinders University 
  12.  Alejandra, Activist, Flotilla Delegation 
  13.  Beverly Bain, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
  14.  Anna Su, Associate Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Law
  15.  Parisa Zangeneh, PhD Researcher, Irish Centre for Human Rights
  16.  Dr Rebecca Smyth, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Exeter
  17.  Dr Alan Greene, Reader in Constitutional Law and Human Rights, Birmingham Law School
  18.  Maria Rosaria Marella, Professor of Law, Roma Tre University 
  19.  Dr Lydia Morgan, Associate Professor of Law, University of Birmingham 
  20.  Máiréad Enright, Professor of Law, Loughborough Law School
  21.  Ruth Marshall, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Toronto 
  22.  Horacio Almanza Alcalde, Profesor de Investigacion y Docencia, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
  23.  Professor Aoife O’Donoghue, Professor of Law, Queen’s University Belfast 
  24.  Dr Silvana Tapia Tapia, Associate Professor in Law, University of Birmingham
  25.  Azril Mohd Amin, Chairman, Centre for Human Rights Research & Advocacy (CENTHRA)
  26.  Donatella Alessandrini, Professor of Law, Loughborough Law School
  27.  Giso Amendola, Professor of Sociology of Law, University of Salerno
  28.  Dr Shahd Hammouri, Lecturer, University of Kent
  29.  Hüseyin Dişli, Lecturer, Boğaziçi University Faculty of Law
  30.  Dr Rishika Sahgal, Assistant Professor in Law, University of Birmingham
  31.  Brandon Mayfield, Attorney at Law (Civil Rights), Oregon State Bar Association
  32.  Carmen Alvarez, Lawyer
  33.  Suzanne Adely, Bureau, International Association of Democratic Lawyers 
  34.  Apeksha Gandhi, Teaching Fellow / PhD Researcher, Aston University / University of Birmingham 
  35.  Dr Suzana Rahde Gerchmann, Postdoctoral Fellow, IHEID
  36.  Dr Maeve O’Rourke, Associate Professor, Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway
  37.  Safiyah Rochelle, Assistant Professor, York University
  38.  Audrey Bomse, Attorney, National Lawyers Guild
  39.  Ena Dua, Professor, York University
  40.  Jabeur Fathally, Associate Professor / Lawyer, University of Ottawa
  41.  Merouan Mekouar, Professor of Development Studies, York University
  42.  Michelle Burgis-Kasthala, Professor of International Law, University of Edinburgh
  43.  Penny Green, Professor of Law and Globalisation, Queen Mary University of London
  44.  Charlie Peevers, Professor of International Law, University of Glasgow
  45.  Dr Nicola Perugini, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Edinburgh
  46.  Dr Ewa Górska, Assistant Professor, University of Wroclaw, Poland 
  47.  Dr Hasret Cetinkaya, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights & Gender, Manchester Metropolitan University 
  48.  Andrzej Ludwik Zoll M.A, PhD Researcher, Jagiellonian University
  49.  Laurence Thieux, Professor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  50.  Isaías Barreñada B., Lecturer in International Relations, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  51.  Dr Helyeh Doutaghi, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Tehran 
  52.  Prof. Rafael Bustos, Senior Lecturer, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  53.  Dr Shahab Saqib, Assistant Professor, University of Birmingham
  54.  Véronique van der Plancke, Lecturer / Scientific Collaborator, University of Brussels (ULB)  / University of Louvain (UCL)
  55.  Dr Anamika Misra, Lecturer in Law, City Law School, University of London 
  56.  Julien Pieret, Professseu, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  57.  Damien Scalia, Professseu, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  58.  Dr Marie Wilmet, Postdoctoral Researcher, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  59.  François Dubuisson, Professseu, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  60.  Jacques Fierens, Professeur Extraordinaire Émérite, Université de Namur
  61.  Dr. Luigi Daniele, Associate Professor in International Law, Department of Law, University of Molise
  62.  Omar Hossam Auf, Assistant Lecturer / Adjunct Instructor, The British University in Egypt / the American University in Cairo
  63.  Luca Saltalamacchia, Lawyer, Studio Legale Saltalamacchia
  64.  Prof. Micaela Frulli, Full Professor of International Law, University of Florence 
  65.  Thierry Moreau, Professeur Extraordinaire et Avocat, Université de Louvain
  66.  Alié Maryse, Avocate, Barreau de Bruxelles 
  67.  Pasquale de Sena, Professor of International Law / Former President of the Italian Society of International and European Union, University of Palermo 
  68.  Dr Nikki Godden-Rasul, Senior Lecturer in Law, Newcastle University 
  69.  Nora J, Lecturer, University of Edinburgh
  70.  Prof. Sylvie Sarolea, Professor of Human Rights Law, UCLouvain
  71.  Dr Sally Day, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Exeter
  72.  Dr Raawiyah Rifath, Lecturer in Law, University of Exeter
  73.  David Carment, Full Professor, Carleton University 
  74.  Dr Pietro Sullo, MSCA Fellow, UCLouvain
  75.  Dr Faye Bird, Lecturer in International Law, University of Exeter
  76.  Dr Francesco Amoruso, Lecturer in Political Geography, Newcastle University  Başak Etkin, PhD Researcher, University of Groningen
  77.  Tamanisha J. John, Assistant Professor, Department of Politics,York University 
  78.  Teresa Almeida Cravo, Associate Professor, University of Coimbra
  79.  Katherine Bullock, Lecturer, University of Toronto
  80.  Dr Mireia Garces de Marcilla, Lecturer in Law, University of Liverpool
  81.  Céline Romainville, Professor, UCLouvain
  82.  Diane Bernard, Professeure, UCLouvain Saint-Louis Brussels
  83.  Christine Flamand, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, UCLouvain
  84.  Francoise Tulkens, Professeur, UCLouvain 
  85.  Erdem Burak Kurtoğlu, PhD Researcher, University of Birmingham Law School
  86.  Arbaz Muzaffer, PhD Researcher, University of Birmingham 
  87.  Anna Juzaszek, PhD Researcher, Jagiellonian University 
  88. Dr Fatima Ahdash, Assistant Professor of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar
  89. Dr Sen Raj, Reader in Human Rights Law, Manchester Metropolitan University
  90. Dr Sué González Hauck, Postdoctoral Scholar, Helmut Schmidt University,  Hamburg 
  91. Dr. Demay Clemence, Lecturer and Postdoctoral Researcher, UNIL
  92. Laurent Kennes, Avocat et Professeur d’université, ULB
  93. Christophe Deprez, Associate Professor, University of Liège
  94. Bieke Vanmarcke, Advocaat, Balie Brussel
  95. John Reynolds, Associate Professor, Maynooth University
  96. Ludovic de San, Avocat, Barreau de Bruxelles
  97. Professor Karen McAuliffe, Professor of Law and Language, University of Birmingham
  98. Dr Ahmed Memon, Lecturer, Cardiff University
  99. Pablo Vila Chirinos, Lawyer, ClimaLex
  100. Nasir Qadri, International Lawyer, World Wide Lawyers Association 
  101. Sena Eliküçük, Human Rights Lawyer, Istanbul Bar Association 
  102. Dr Bernadette Rainey, Senior Lecturer in Law, Cardiff University
  103. Andrea Tirolo, Avocat, ULB
  104. Jennifer Brant, Associate Professor, University of Toronto 
  105. Dr Alessandra Spadaro, Assistant Professor in Public International Law, Utrecht University 
  106. Dr Yousra Rahmouni Elidrissi, Assistant Professor, Utrecht University 
  107. Dr Marco Longobardo, Reader in International Law, University of Westminster
  108. Philippe Vincent, Professor, Université de Liège
  109. Rebecca Ruth Gould, Distinguished Professor of Comparative Poetics and Global Politics, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
  110. Dr Birgit Poopuu, Associate Professor of International Relations, Tallinn University 
  111. Fia Hamid-Walker, Doctoral Researcher, Melbourne Law School
  112. Vincent Wong, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor 
  113. Verónica Pereyra Carrillo, PhD Researcher, Independent
  114. Sandra Roman, Escritora Movimiento de Espiritualidad Femenina 
  115. Oumar Ba, Assistant Professor, Cornell University
  116. Shohini Sengupta, HDR Candidate, UNSW, Sydney
  117. Sarouche Razi, Lecturer in Legal Theory, The University of Sydney 
  118. Douglas McDonald-Norman, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney 
  119. Dr Bashi Hazard, Lawyer and Academic, University of Sydney
  120. Maria Giannacopoulos, Associate Professor, UNSW, Sydney
  121. Natasha Naidu, Research Associate, University of New South Wales
  122. Aman, PhD Candidate / Teaching Fellow, University of New South Wales
  123. Marta Aurino, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, Sciences Po Paris
  124. Katharina Tittel, PhD Researcher / Teaching Fellow, Sciences Po Paris
  125. Shanil Wijesinha, PhD Researcher, UNSW, Sydney
  126. Hanna Kureemun, Doctorante en Droit Public, Université de La Réunion 
  127. Sinethemba Memela, PhD Researcher, University of New South Wales
  128. Usha Natarajan, Senior Lecturer, The University of the West Indies 
  129. Muhammed Karayağlı, PhD Researcher, Northumbria University 
  130. Dr Francesca Cerulli, Postdoctoral Researcher in International Law, University of Florence
  131. Dr Elisa Wynne-Hughes, Reader in International Relations, Cardiff University
  132. Nicolas Bernard, Professeur, UCLouvain
  133. Marie-Sophie Devresse, Professor, UCLouvain
  134. Dr Yvette Issar, Independent Humanitarian Law Expert, The Olerai Lab
  135. Aude Merlin, Professor in Political Science, ULB
  136. Dr Francesca Romana Ammaturo, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and International Relations, London Metropolitan University
  137. Saparya Sood, PhD Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods
  138. Dr Ayesha Wijayalath, Lecturer, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney 
  139. Dr Jelena Aparac, Lecturer / Associate Judge, Geneva School of Diplomacy
  140. Elisa Vari, Human Rights Lawyer
  141. Professor Dr Hab Fryderyk Zoll, Professor, Jagiellonian University
  142. Levent Piskin, PhD Researcher, University of Dundee
  143. Clément Lanier, PhD Researcher, Université Paris-Nanterre
  144. Dr Siobhán Airey, Assistant Professor, School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  145. Sanam Amin, PhD Researcher, Melbourne Law School
  146. Zeynep Kıvılcım, Associate Professor
  147. Dr Ergün Özgür, Research Fellow, Leibniz Zentrum Moderner Orient & FU’Berlin
  148. Tacettin Çalik, Assistant Professor, Pamukkale University Law Faculty
  149. Aline Bodson, PhD Researcher, Université de Namur
  150. Dr Luisa Calvete Portela Barbosa, Researcher, SOAS, University of London
  151. Lamis J. Deek, Attorney / Director of Legal and Diplomatic Affairs, PAL Commission on War Crimes, Justice, Reparations, and Return  
  152. Meredith Hagger, PhD Researcher, UNSW
  153. Cris van Eijk, PhD Researcher, Newcastle Law School 
  154. Dr Lucía Berro Pizzarossa, University of Birmingham
  155. Leila Hennaoui, International Law Lecturer, University of Chlef, Algeria 
  156. J. M. Makalintal, Researcher, University of Innsbruck 
  157. Ömer Erkut Bulut, Assistant Professor of International Law, Bogazici University 
  158. Dr Güneş Ünüvar, Senior Researcher, University of Luxembourg
  159. Muhammet Hamza Ünal, Attorney at Law, İstanbul Bar Association
  160. Dr Jasmin Johurun Nessa, Research Associate in International Law, University of Bristol
  161. Dr Thamil Venthan Ananthavinayagan, Adjunct Lecturer, Maynooth University 
  162. Gulden Sonmez, Attorney, İstanbul Bar Association
  163. Üsame Sarıyaşar, Attorney, İstanbul Bar Association
  164. Çetin Acu, Lawyer, Konya Bar Association
  165. Mustafa Eminoğlu, Lawyer, Ankara Bar Association
  166. Rafia Akram, Lecturer, University of Pretoria
  167. Büşra Balat, Assistant Professor in International Law, Istanbul Medeniyet University
  168. Muharrem Balcı, Avukat, İstanbul Barosu Avukatı
  169. Furkan Aydın, Research Assistant, Social Sciences, University of Ankara
  170. Selman Aksünger, PhD Researcher, Maastricht University
  171. Ümran Sirimsi Candemir, Avukat, İstanbul Bar Türkiye 
  172. Dr Muhammet Celal Kul, Assistant Professor and Head of International Law Department, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University 
  173. Av. Bircan Kaçmaz, Lawyer (Attorney-at-Law), Diyarbakır Bar Association
  174. Endet Uslu, Volunteer, Türk Kızılayı
  175. Feyzullah Çiftçi, Attorney, İstanbul Bar Association
  176. Dr Fatma Sümer, Lecturer / Postdoctoral Researcher, İstanbul Yeni Yuzyil University 
  177. Halim Yilmaz, Attorney, İstanbul Bar Association
  178. Meryem Tacyıldız, Kudüs ve Hukuk Duyuru Gurubu 
  179. Dr Coralie Pison Hindawi, Researcher and Expert Associate, Salam Project (PRISME)
  180. Sena Topgul, Attorney, İstanbul Bar Association
  181. Gülay Tunç, Hakim (Judge), Adalet Bakanlığı (Ministry of Justice)
  182. Aysenur Cetin, Humanitarian Aid Worker, Uppsala University 
  183. Dr Zeynep Kaşlı, Senior Assistant Professor, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam
  184. Atina Krajewska, Professor of Law, University of Birmingham
  185. Dr Adil Hasan Khan, Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne Law School

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