Lawyers aboard Gaza-bound flotilla vessels are documenting alleged violations of international humanitarian and marine law by Israeli naval forces, with cases to be submitted to the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, according to reports from activists at sea.
Hassan Massoud, an Al Jazeera correspondent aboard one of the ships in the Mediterranean Sea, reported that legal teams are systematically recording Israeli navy actions during interception operations.
“We are monitoring all the cameras and we can confirm that several boats are still trying to reach Gaza. Even if just one of the boats reaches Gaza, this would achieve their goal to break the siege,” Massoud said.
Legal documentation to be submitted to International Court of Justice
Detained activists from the Sumud Flotilla are expected to arrive at Israel’s Ashdod port at approximately 09:00 GMT on Thursday, following their interception by Israeli naval forces at sea. Arrivals are expected to continue throughout the day.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted photographs of some detained activists on Thursday.
Communication with the flotilla boats has been completely severed. Proximity to Israeli navy vessels increases the likelihood of signal jamming, whilst activists have adopted protocols including disposing of mobile phones to avoid interception or harassment.
Additional flotilla departs from Sicily towards Gaza
A second flotilla has departed from Sicily, Italy, and is now sailing towards Gaza, signalling that activists are continuing efforts to reach Palestinian people and highlight Israel’s blockade of food, water and medicine, according to Massoud.
The Sumud Flotilla represents the latest attempt by pro-Palestinian activists to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007.
Several vessels continue attempts to reach Gaza Strip
Israeli authorities maintain that the naval blockade is necessary for security purposes, whilst activists and humanitarian organisations argue it constitutes collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population under international law.
The processing of detained activists at Ashdod port is expected to take considerable time, potentially extending throughout the entire day.
Previous flotilla attempts have resulted in similar interceptions by Israeli forces, with the most notable incident occurring in 2010 when Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara, resulting in the deaths of 10 activists and triggering an international diplomatic crisis.
(information from aljazeera.com/image source: Ammar Awad/Reuters)
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