The waters off the coast of the Gaza Strip are not Israeli territorial waters, and the blockade imposed by Tel Aviv is illegitimate. On the contrary, the humanitarian mission of the Global Sumud Flotilla is therefore entirely legitimate, and the government "has an obligation to protect ships flying the Italian flag and their crews, including by resorting to force if necessary". It is not merely a humanitarian mission, but a political and legal test for Italy — that of the Global Sumud Flotilla which, loaded with food and medicine for Gaza, has put to sea again after stopping to repair the damage caused by an Israeli attack in international waters.

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#GlobalSumudFlotilla, #Crosetto : "Non possiamo garantire sicurezza se entrano in acque israeliane"

#flotilla #25settembre

♥ 64💬 92 25 set 2025 · Apri su X →

And three Italian associations of jurists — Asgi, Giuristi Democratici and Comma 2 — have clarified the matter "also in light of a series of statements contrary to international law made by members of the Italian Government": the Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto, in particular, had told Parliament that Italy would not be able to intervene in defence of the ships "in Israeli territorial waters".

The Global Sumud Flotilla mission is legitimate — everything else is not

According to the three organisations, it is not the Flotilla that is violating the rules of international law, but rather the naval blockade imposed by Israel and the armed attacks against civilian vessels. "It constitutes a blatant violation of international law," they write, "to attack the Flotilla's vessels, to impose a naval blockade off Gaza, and to treat the waters off the coastline as Israeli." The statement directly implicates Palazzo Chigi. "A shedding of the obligation of protection by the Italian state would make Italy responsible for violating human rights conventions, which require the adoption of all necessary measures to protect human life." In other words, if Italian ships were to be struck and the government failed to intervene, Rome would find itself under accusation not only politically but also under international law.

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🔵La #Flotilla è in acque internazionali. Le imbarcazioni sono state monitorate da droni che si sono mantenuti alti. Nel pomeriggio l'incontro della portavoce italiana, Maria Elena Delia, col ministro della Difesa Crosetto.

♥ 14💬 2 28 set 2025 · Apri su X →

The statement further underlines that the action of the Global Sumud Flotilla is fully compliant with international law and that the Israeli naval blockade, as a measure that deprives the civilian population of food and medicine, "is manifestly illegitimate and constitutes a crime against humanity and a war crime". The associations also invoke the conclusions of the International Court of Justice, which in July 2024 reiterated that Israel "has no right to sovereignty over any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory" and that it is incumbent upon all states, Italy included, not to recognise any consequences of the occupation.

The message is clear: the Flotilla continues to sail towards Gaza, but the real question concerns the Italian government. Having promptly dispatched a frigate following the drone attack sustained off the coast of Crete, will it be willing to take on the responsibility of defending its own ships and citizens — even in waters that Israel considers its own, with the approval of a large part of the international community, as Asgi, Giuristi Democratici and Comma 2 are demanding — or will it prefer to stand aside and leave the Global Sumud Flotilla at Israel's mercy?