Geneva: A group of UN experts called on Monday for safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's ship which departed from Italy on June 1, 2025, and is carrying essential medical aid, food, and baby supplies to Gaza. As the ship approaches Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, these experts emphasized the urgent need for aid in the region.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the experts issued a statement from Geneva, highlighting the need for aid to prevent annihilation in Gaza and labeling the initiative as a symbolic and powerful effort to deliver necessary supplies. They called on Israeli forces to refrain from hostility against the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and its passengers, stressing the right of Palestinians in Gaza to receive aid through their territorial waters and the Coalition's right to free passage in international waters.
The experts expressed concern for the safety of those aboard the Freedom Flotilla, citing previous violent attacks by Israeli forces on human rights defenders and humanitarian missions. A previous ship sent by the coalition in May was reportedly bombed by a drone off the coast of Malta. They urged the UN General Assembly to consider deploying peacekeepers to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, invoking the 'Uniting for Peace' provision of the UN Charter.
The blockade imposed by Israel has prevented substantial aid from entering Gaza for over 80 days, with only minimal aid recently allowed. The International Court of Justice, in March 2024, recognized the risk of genocide due to rampant famine and starvation in Gaza. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for the war crime of starvation.
The experts described the situation in Gaza as dire, with Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation allegedly using aid as a weapon to displace and control civilians. They noted that the practices violate international legal principles, with child acute malnutrition increasing by more than 80 percent in March 2025.
The statement was issued by UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, among others.