Our Position
Four demands rooted in international law, Palestinian rights, and the obligation of every state and institution to act.
Demand I
The Israeli regime's siege of Gaza is illegal under international law. The blockade constitutes collective punishment, prohibited under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and has been described by the International Court of Justice as a situation in which Palestinians face a plausible risk of genocide under the Genocide Convention of 1948.
The Global Sumud Flotilla demands the immediate, unconditional, and permanent opening of a maritime corridor to Gaza, allowing safe passage for our fleet and the continuous flow of humanitarian aid, civilian vessels, medical personnel, and reconstruction materials, under international supervision and Palestinian leadership and coordination.
Demand II
Solidarity is not optional. It is codified.
The Global Sumud Flotilla demands that all third states fulfill their binding obligations under international law, including:
The Genocide Convention (1948): States parties are obligated not merely to refrain from genocide but to prevent and punish it. The ICJ's provisional measures order of January 2024 found it plausible that Israel's conduct in Gaza constitutes genocide. States that continue to supply arms, intelligence, or diplomatic cover to the Israeli regime are in breach of this obligation.
International Humanitarian Law (Geneva Conventions, 1949, and Additional Protocols): Common Article 1 requires all states to ensure respect for the Conventions in all circumstances, including by third parties. States must cease facilitating violations of the laws of war, including attacks on civilians, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
The ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Illegality of the Occupation (2024): The Court found Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory to be unlawful and called on all states to refrain from rendering aid or assistance in maintaining it. This ruling carries binding moral and political force. Third states must act accordingly, ending arms transfers, suspending bilateral agreements that entrench the occupation, and supporting immediate compliance with ICJ orders.
The Rome Statute and International Criminal Court: States parties must cooperate fully with ICC proceedings, enforce arrest warrants, and refuse safe harbor to those credibly implicated in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Concretely, we demand: an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on the Israeli regime; the suspension of free trade agreements and diplomatic normalization deals that reward impunity; full cooperation with international accountability mechanisms; and support for sanctions measures consistent with third-state obligations under international law.
Demand III
The reconstruction of Gaza is not a neutral act. Who funds it, who controls it, and who decides its shape will determine whether Palestinians are restored to their land and their lives, or dispossessed and robbed of their rights to justice and sovereignty once more.
The Global Sumud Flotilla rejects any reconstruction framework that displaces Palestinians, transfers stewardship of Gaza to foreign powers or regional proxies, conditions relief on political compliance, or removes Palestinians from decision-making over their own territory and future.
We demand a reconstruction process that is led by Palestinians, accountable to Palestinian civil society, funded without political strings, and oriented toward the restoration of homes, schools, hospitals, and the full civilian infrastructure destroyed by the Israeli regime's assault. Reconstruction must be paired with the lifting of the siege, the right of return for all displaced Palestinians, and an unambiguous political horizon of self-determination consistent with UN General Assembly Resolution 194, UN Security Council Resolution 2334, and the inalienable rights affirmed repeatedly by the United Nations.
The question of Gaza's future is not a logistical problem to be managed by outside powers. It is a political question, and its answer belongs to Palestinians.
Demand IV
No ceasefire alone will preserve the safety and future of the Palestinian people. Only accountability for genocide can do that, and without it, the world becomes less safe for everyone.
The Global Sumud Flotilla demands that those responsible for the genocide in Gaza face the full consequences of international law, and that every institution and state with the power to deliver that accountability exercise it without exception or delay.
We call on:
The International Criminal Court to proceed without obstruction in its investigation and prosecution of those credibly implicated in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and on all states parties to enforce ICC arrest warrants without exception.
The International Court of Justice to continue proceedings under the Genocide Convention and to issue enforceable measures that constrain the Israeli regime's conduct, backed by the full weight of international compliance mechanisms.
The United Nations Security Council and General Assembly to act on their respective obligations to prevent and punish genocide, and to refuse complicity through inaction where member states use procedural power to shield perpetrators from accountability.
All third states to treat accountability as a legal obligation, including through the exercise of universal jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity where applicable in domestic courts.
International civil society, legal bodies, and documentation networks to continue building the evidentiary record that will sustain prosecutions, inform sanctions, and deny impunity any foothold.
Accountability is the precondition for any just and durable peace. Without it, the structures that made this genocide possible remain intact to continue their destruction unabated.