UN urges protection of Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza

The United Nations has called for the protection of the “Global Sumud Flotilla,” a multinational convoy sailing toward Gaza to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, warning against any Israeli attack on the mission.

“Any attack on the flotilla is unacceptable,” said Marta Hurtado Gomez, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a written response to Anadolu Agency. She stressed that “people seeking to deliver humanitarian aid and support hundreds of thousands of hungry and thirsty people in Gaza should not be attacked; they must be protected.”

Gomez urged Israel to immediately lift its blockade on Gaza and allow life-saving supplies to enter “by all means.”

The warning comes after Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported Sunday that authorities were preparing to “take control” of the flotilla’s ships—a move reminiscent of June and July, when Israeli forces intercepted the Madeleine and Handala vessels.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising dozens of ships for the first time, includes the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Global Gaza Movement, the Steadfastness Flotilla, and Malaysia’s Sumud Nusantara. The convoy is carrying medical and other humanitarian supplies to Gaza, home to 2.4 million Palestinians under an Israeli blockade for nearly 18 years.