The continuing siege imposed on the Gaza Strip approaches its third year.
Israel’s partial closure of the Strip approaches its tenth year amid the silence of the international community, including the contracting parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians.
    The 'Freedom Fleet' initiative comes in the context of increased popular efforts by peace, human rights and solidarity activists.
It is a reaction to the failure of the international community to fulfill its obligations.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the threats and plans by Israel to intercept the fleet and arrest the civilian peace activists while they are at sea.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to intervene to protect the 'Freedom Fleet' and to end the siege.
  The Israeli position, as an existing occupying power, towards the 'Freedom Fleet' exposes a deep contradiction in its allegation that the Gaza Strip is no longer an occupied territory and Israel is not responsible for the humanitarian and human rights conditions for the Strip’s population.
Israel has used this allegation in the face of charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during its last aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Israel insists that the last war was against an entity that was not under its control and threatened its security.
  The Israeli attitude towards the fleet clearly reflects the analysis of the human rights community and experts in international law about the Gaza Strip being part of the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt),  subject to effective Israeli control, and hence under Israel’s occupation.
Therefore, Israel is obliged to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law when dealing with the population in the Gaza Strip.
    Al Mezan follows with great concern the movement of the “Freedom Fleet”.
The fleet has already confronted technical and political obstacles.
Cyprus refused to allow one of the boats carrying European MPs to land in its territorial water.
This hindered the arrival of the fleet on time.
It was scheduled to enter Gaza on Sunday morning 30 May 2010.
The fleet is now expected to land in Gaza’s harbor on Monday 31 May 2010.
  The 'Freedom Fleet' consists of seven vessels: one ship carrying Turkish and Kuwaiti aid; one ship carrying aid from Algeria; and another ship carrying European aid from Sweden and Greece, and one ship from Ireland - the “Free Gaza Movement' ship.
The largest of the ships from Turkey is carrying the bulk of the passengers along with two other boats.
One of the ships is called 'Ship No.
8000', which indicates the number of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
    Despite receiving dozens of requests to participate in the 'Freedom Fleet' by activists, the fleet carries about 750 participants from more than 40 countries.
44 European and Arab officials, diplomats and politicians, including ten Algerian MPs, are on board.
The fleet is carrying more than 10 thousand tons of medical aid, construction materials and wood; 100 prefab houses to help thousands of displaced people who lost their houses in the beginning of 2009; and 500 electric vehicles for physically disabled persons as there are about 600 disabled persons in the Gaza Strip.
  Al Mezan praises the popular international efforts to end the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan asserts that the humanitarian aid carried by the “Freedom Fleet is as important for its symbolism as it is for its humanitarian impact.
Al Mezan is highly concerned by the escalating Israeli statements that the Israeli navy will intercept the fleet, drag it to Israeli ports and arrest the activists on board.
  Al Mezan emphasizes the illegitimacy of the Israeli siege and collective punishment imposed on the Gaza Strip.
Therefore, breaking and ending the siege is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians.
An occupying power may not use its control to collectively punish an entire civilian population.
There is also a moral obligation on every state, institution, and person who has the ability to contribute towards ending this siege and the suffering of those people who live under it.
The international popular activity highlights the siege as well as the attitude of the international community which continues to absolve itself of its legal obligations towards Palestinian civilians in the oPt.
  In this context, Al Mezan calls on the international community to take effective steps to ensure the safety of the civilian solidarity activists who are on their way to the Gaza Strip.
It also calls the international community to support the solidarity activists’ calls to end the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, which continues to cause grave violations of human rights that amount to crimes against humanity.
  Ends