In this regard, Dr. Shahd Hamouri, from the University of Kent in the UK, said: "We live in a time when ships laden with the latest weapons pass freely, while ships carrying urgent humanitarian aid to a starving people are targeted. Israel is prepared to bomb humanitarian ships to maintain its policy of using starvation as a means of war against the Palestinians."
For her part, the UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she had received a distress call from the ship's passengers, adding: "I call on the concerned states, including the competent maritime authorities, to provide the necessary support to the ship and its crew. I trust that the competent authorities will take action to investigate the facts and take appropriate action."
Professor Itamar Mann of the University of Haifa said that if the attack is proven to have been carried out by Israel, it constitutes a clear violation of the right to life and a war crime. He added, "The incident occurred in international waters near Malta, which requires an urgent investigation and accountability. Maritime safety authorities must reconsider their relationship with Israel after it violated freedom of navigation and endangered the safety of the maritime community."
Professor Noura Erakat of Rutgers University said, "With states inaction, civil society organizations are filling this void. Eighteen activists on board an aid ship bound for Gaza, which has not received any food supplies for 60 days, were attacked by drones. They must be rescued immediately and their humanitarian mission completed."
Dr. Luigi Daniel, of Nottingham Law School, wrote: "A crime within a crime within a crime. Targeting a peaceful vessel in international waters is a crime to shield the war crime of starvation, to facilitate the commission of genocide against Palestinians."
Susan Adly, president of the National Lawyers Guild in the United States, also strongly condemned the attack, calling the ship a symbol of "global civil society's solidarity with the Palestinian people."
She said, "What happened is a blatant violation of international law, and it must be investigated and those responsible held accountable. The international community must act to ensure the flotilla's protection and the completion of its humanitarian mission, amid the inability of governments and international institutions."
It's worth noting that no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack on the ship on Thursday night, while Israel has refrained from commenting, despite the incident dominating the headlines in the Hebrew media.
The aid ship, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which was prepared with the participation of international initiatives and campaigns from around the world to stop Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, was attacked by drones at 00:23 Malta time (+2 GMT), amid secret security measures taken to confront 0 risks.
