The Insan Organization for Rights and Freedoms strongly condemns the Israeli occupation forces’ interception and detention of participants in the “Global Steadfastness Fleet” while sailing through international waters toward the Gaza Strip in a humanitarian attempt to break the blockade imposed on the territory. The incident was accompanied by the arrest of hundreds of activists and solidarity campaigners from more than forty countries around the world.

The organization considers the interception of civilian vessels, the detention of activists, and their transfer to a military ship equipped as a floating prison before being taken to the port of Ashdod to constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and international maritime regulations. It also reflects the continuation of the occupation’s policy of suppressing all forms of humanitarian solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The organization affirms that the broad international participation in the “Global Steadfastness Fleet” demonstrates the growing global popular solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the escalating anger over the ongoing crimes and violations committed against civilians in the Gaza Strip. This comes amid the suffocating blockade and the policies of destruction, starvation, and forced displacement imposed on the population for years, which have worsened catastrophically since October 2023.

The organization further stresses that the continued blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007 constitutes collective punishment prohibited under international law and has caused an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. This crisis has been exacerbated by the ongoing aggression, which has led to widespread destruction of infrastructure and residential areas and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians within the Strip.

The Insan Organization calls on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights and humanitarian organizations to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and take urgent action to:

- Secure the immediate release of all “Global Steadfastness Fleet” activists.
- Ensure the safety of detainees and halt any arbitrary measures against them.
- Hold Israeli occupation leaders accountable for grave violations of international law.
- End the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and guarantee the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid.

The organization renews its full solidarity with the Palestinian people and their legitimate right to freedom and a life of dignity, affirming that attempts to silence voices of solidarity will not succeed in concealing the reality of the humanitarian suffering endured by civilians in the Gaza Strip.