![The humanitarian organization Freedom Flotilla Coalition is in Catania from where the ship Madleen will depart on its mission to break the siege on Gaza, in Catania, Italy on June 01, 2025. [Salvatore Allegra - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AA-20250601-38154925-38154921-GRETA_THUNBERG_JOINS_FREEDOM_FLOTILLA_AID_SHIP_FOR_GAZA_IN_ITALY-2.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
UN experts yesterday called for the protection of a ship operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which departed from Italy on Sunday carrying food, medical supplies, and baby items bound for Gaza, Anadolu reported.
“Aid is desperately needed for the people of Gaza to forestall annihilation, and this initiative is a symbolic and powerful effort to deliver it,” the experts said in a joint statement. “Israel should remember that the world is watching closely and refrain from any act of hostility against the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and its passengers.”
They emphasised that it is the legal right of Palestinians to receive aid through their own territorial waters, and of the vessel to navigate freely in international waters.
“Israel must not interfere with its freedom of navigation, long recognised under international law,” they said.
The experts voiced concern for the safety of those on board, referencing a previous Freedom Flotilla ship which was bombed by a drone off Malta’s coast in early May.
READ: Swedish activist Greta Thunberg to sail to Gaza aboard Freedom Flotilla
They said Israel has enforced a complete blockade on Gaza for 17 years, intensifying it since 2 March, with aid almost entirely cut off for over 80 days.
“As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s ship approaches Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, Israel must adhere to international law and comply with orders from the International Court of Justice to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian aid,” the experts said.
They condemned the use of aid as a weapon of war and accused the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – backed by Israel and the US – of violating principles of neutrality and humanity.
Calling the current situation “the most horrific” phase of Gaza’s crisis, the experts urged the UN General Assembly to authorise peacekeepers under the Uniting for Peace mechanism.
“Member States have a legal obligation and a moral imperative to stop starvation and genocide in Gaza,” they said.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing over 54,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave’s more than two million population.
READ: Israel likely to intercept Freedom Flotilla before it reaches Gaza’s shore: activists