In a development highlighting the escalation of Israeli violations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on the Tunisian authorities to launch an independent investigation into attacks targeting civilian vessels taking part in the “Global Freedom Flotilla” while in Tunisian waters on 8 and 9 September.
This flotilla is the largest international maritime initiative seeking to break the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid to its population, who are living under famine conditions.
In a statement, OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Khitan affirmed that the incidents constituted “unlawful attacks” on unarmed civilian ships, stressing the need for accountability and an end to impunity.
He noted that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), supported by the United Nations, has already declared that famine is occurring in Gaza, making urgent intervention a matter of life and death.
The statement added that the occupying power must immediately comply with international law, including the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice to guarantee adequate humanitarian access and freedom of movement for relief workers.
In a significant development, the “Freedom Flotilla” announced that an Israeli drone had targeted a Spanish vessel in Sidi Bou Said port, supporting its claim with video footage. However, the Tunisian Interior Ministry denied this, saying that only a small fire in a life jacket had been quickly brought under control.
Nevertheless, the international flotilla, comprising dozens of vessels and hundreds of participants from 47 countries, continues preparations to depart from Tunisia in the largest maritime convoy of its kind towards Gaza. Among the participants are prominent politicians, parliamentarians and artists, reflecting an unprecedented level of global solidarity with the besieged population.
Since 2 March, the occupying power has closed all crossings leading into Gaza, preventing the entry of food, medicine and essential goods. This has exacerbated famine and caused hundreds of deaths from hunger, including large numbers of children. Even when limited aid is permitted, it covers only a fraction of the needs, with many trucks being looted by groups protected by the occupying forces.
According to the latest figures, the ongoing genocide since 7 October 2023 has killed at least 64,756 people and injured 164,059, most of them women and children, in addition to the displacement of hundreds of thousands. Famine alone has claimed the lives of 413 Palestinians, including 143 children, amid widespread destruction of infrastructure and mass forced displacement.
What is happening in Gaza can only be described as a full-scale genocide, combining direct killing with deliberate starvation and systematic destruction. Targeting or obstructing the “Freedom Flotilla” represents a continuation of a policy aimed at severing the lifeline to Palestinians, in flagrant defiance of international appeals and the rulings of the highest judicial bodies of the United Nations.
