Israel's interception of Madleen raises legal concerns over humanitarian aid blockade
On Monday, the Madleen, a
UK -flagged civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid for
Palestinians , was stopped by Israeli forces in international waters, about 200km (124 miles) off the Gaza coast.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had organised the voyage, setting sail from Sicily on June 1. The vessel's 12 passengers included climate activist
Greta Thunberg , European Parliament member Rima Hassan, two French journalists and several other activists from around the world.
The
Israeli military boarded the ship and diverted it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The aid it carried – baby milk formula, food, medical supplies, water desalination kits – was confiscated. All passengers were detained and some, like Thunberg, were deported.
This interception sparked international condemnation – and more importantly, raised questions about whether Israel's actions complied with international law.
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg (right) is greeted on arrival in Stockholm on Tuesday after she was arrested on board the Madleen and deported. Photo: AFP
Legal conditions for naval blockades
Naval blockades are not automatically illegal. Under the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea (1994), a blockade may be used in wartime, but only if five legal conditions are met:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Israel and Iran launch fresh strikes, as conflict escalates
Israel and Iran's conflict escalated on Saturday evening, with the Islamic Republic firing another wave of missiles and the Israeli air force striking Tehran. The unfolding crisis also extended to Iran's energy infrastructure as Israeli attacks caused an explosion at a natural gas processing facility linked to the giant South Pars field, according to Iranian state-backed media. Later on Saturday, Iran said it launched a missile and drone attack on cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa. Israel said it identified the missile launches and its air defences were working to intercept the projectiles. Israeli emergency services said 14 people were injured in one incident in Western Galilee, in the north of the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military would 'strike at every site and every target of the Ayatollah regime', after Iran fired waves of ballistic missiles at Israeli cities on Friday evening and Saturday morning. At least three people were killed. Iran was responding to unprecedented Israeli air strikes on its nuclear facilities, air defences and other targets on Friday – some of which killed top military commanders and atomic scientists. Israel said it was trying to dismantle Iran's nuclear programme, which it views as an existential threat.
South China Morning Post
17 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Israel's interception of Madleen raises legal concerns over humanitarian aid blockade
On Monday, the Madleen, a UK -flagged civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians , was stopped by Israeli forces in international waters, about 200km (124 miles) off the Gaza coast. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had organised the voyage, setting sail from Sicily on June 1. The vessel's 12 passengers included climate activist Greta Thunberg , European Parliament member Rima Hassan, two French journalists and several other activists from around the world. The Israeli military boarded the ship and diverted it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The aid it carried – baby milk formula, food, medical supplies, water desalination kits – was confiscated. All passengers were detained and some, like Thunberg, were deported. This interception sparked international condemnation – and more importantly, raised questions about whether Israel's actions complied with international law. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg (right) is greeted on arrival in Stockholm on Tuesday after she was arrested on board the Madleen and deported. Photo: AFP Legal conditions for naval blockades Naval blockades are not automatically illegal. Under the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea (1994), a blockade may be used in wartime, but only if five legal conditions are met:
South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
As Israel strikes Iran, is regime change the ultimate target?
Israel's surprise attack on Iran had an obvious goal of sharply disrupting Tehran's nuclear programme and lengthening the time it would need to develop an atomic weapon. But the scale of the attacks, Israel's choice of targets, and its politicians' own words suggest another, longer-term objective: toppling the regime itself. The strikes early on Friday hit not just Iran's nuclear facilities and missile factories but also key figures in the country's military chain of command and its nuclear scientists, blows that appear aimed at diminishing Iran's credibility both at home and among its allies in the region – factors that could destabilise the Iranian leadership, experts said. 'One assumes that one of the reasons that Israel is doing that is that they're hoping to see regime change,' said Michael Singh of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former senior official under President George W. Bush. Israeli military aircraft preparing for strike operations in Iran. Photo: Israel Defence Forces via Xinhua 'It would like to see the people of Iran rise up,' he said, adding that the limited civilian casualties in the initial round of attacks also spoke to a broader aim.
