Palestine: Israel's attack on the Freedom Flotilla is an ethical and legal violation.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong condemnation on Thursday of the Israeli attack on the Global Resilience Fleet, considering it "an ethical and legal violation of international laws and norms."

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement its "strong condemnation of the Israeli attack and aggression against the Global Resilience Fleet."

It deemed the attack "an ethical and legal violation of international law and international norms, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and other humanitarian principles and human rights, especially for the participants on board this fleet."

The ministry expressed its deep concern for the safety and security of more than 470 participants in the fleet, holding Israel, "the illegal occupying authority," responsible for their safety and security while they are fulfilling their humanitarian duty to deliver aid to our Palestinian people (in Gaza) who are deliberately besieged and starved.

It affirmed that "Israel has no authority over Palestinian territorial waters, which extend from the Gaza Strip, and over international waters."

It pointed out that "the Global Resilience Fleet enjoys the right to free passage in international waters, and Israel, the illegal occupying authority, must not interfere with the internationally recognized freedom of navigation that has long been established."

It confirmed that "the Global Resilience Fleet is also allowed to pass through Palestinian territorial waters to deliver humanitarian aid."

It emphasized that the Global Resilience Fleet is "a peaceful civilian initiative aimed at breaking the inhumane and illegal Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip and putting an end to the Israeli policy of starvation and genocide, in accordance with international law."

Palestine praised the participants in the Resilience Fleet for their courage and determination to break the Israeli siege and end the genocide being committed by Israel, calling on "the international community and its institutions to provide protection for them and activate accountability mechanisms against Israel," according to the same statement.

On Wednesday evening, the "Resilience Fleet" announced via the American "X" platform that it was attacked by about 10 Israeli ships and issued a distress call after some of its vessels were intercepted in international waters, asserting that this constitutes "a war crime."

Later, the fleet stated early Thursday that 30 of its ships continued sailing about 46 miles from Gaza, despite ongoing Israeli attacks, including spraying with pressurized water and deliberate collisions with ships, which represent "a crime against humanity."

In recent days, international organizations, including "Amnesty International," have called for protection for the "Resilience Fleet," while the United Nations confirmed that any attack on it "is unacceptable."

Israel, the occupying power in Palestine, has previously engaged in acts of piracy against ships heading to Gaza, seizing them and deporting the activists on board.

This is the first time that dozens of ships are sailing together towards Gaza, home to about 2.4 million Palestinians, in a collective attempt to break the ongoing Israeli siege on the territory for 18 years.

Since March 2, Israel has closed the crossings leading to Gaza, preventing any humanitarian aid, plunging the territory into famine despite relief trucks piling up at its borders.

Sometimes, Israel allows very little aid to enter, which does not end the famine, especially as most trucks are subjected to looting by gangs that the Gaza government claims are protected by Israel.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, resulting in 66,148 deaths and 168,716 injuries, most of whom are children and women, and famine has claimed the lives of 455 Palestinians, including 151 children.