CAN condemns illegal Israeli aggression against the Global Sumud Flotilla and its activists
2 October 2025
Climate Action Network condemns Israel’s illegal interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters on October 2nd 2025, and the subsequent abduction of the activists on board who include doctors, lawyers, parliamentarians, unionists, and human rights defenders from 47 countries, including from a number of EU countries, Latin America, the MENA region, Africa and Asia, UK and Australia.
International law is clear: Civilians, including those engaged in humanitarian missions, are protected under the Geneva Conventions. The Israeli interception of the flotilla additionally violates the International Court of Justice’s binding provisional measures, which requires the facilitation and delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. By blocking the Flotilla and abducting the people on board, Israel breaks 6 international law instruments, not just pertaining to the protection of civilians but also the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Global Sumud Flotilla is not only bearing aid, it is bearing witness. Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory declared in September, and the Gaza blockade is a form of collective punishment and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. Intentionally starving over two million Palestinians, half of whom are children, has been condemned by UN officials as a war crime and is officially declared a famine.
Despite Israeli drone attacks on the flotilla, and now the illegal interception and abductions, it is reported that at least two boats have made it to Gaza waters but their fate is still unknown.
Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network International, said: “We thank the brave activists for doing what governments would not do. We call for the immediate and safe release of those illegally abducted by Israel. States are obligated by international law to ensure safe passage for humanitarian vessels and those onboard. Israel has broken this law, just like it continues to do in Palestine day after day with its genocide. Being a bystander to a genocide is complicity. Israel’s impunity must be stopped.”
CAN calls for:
– The immediate release of those abducted by Israeli forces and their ships, and for them to continue their humanitarian mission safely.
– Governments to ensure the safety of all citizens and the unhindered passage of the rest of the Global Sumud Flotilla and all humanitarian vessels.
– Civil society and people of conscience to stand in solidarity and take action in support of Gaza and the activists that have been abducted, including supporting the call for a General Strike by Italian trade unions
– Media outlets worldwide to cover this mission and the ongoing genocide with integrity, resisting disinformation and silence.
CAN firmly stands with the international call for an end to the blockade, an end to the genocide, an end to apartheid and the Occupation and a guarantee of the fundamental rights of all Palestinian people to dignity, freedom, and security. The Palestinian right to self-determination must be respected, including their right to make decisions about the future of Gaza and the West Bank and the governance of Palestine.
As a global network of more than 2,000 civil society organizations in over 130 nations, Climate Action Network once again asserts that there is no climate justice without human rights and no peace without accountability. We repeat our call for an end to the genocide and an end to Apartheid and the Occupation.
Contacts: