Since October 2023, nearly 55,000 people have lost their lives and 126,227 others have been injured as a result of the attacks launched by Israel against the Gaza Strip. These attacks have led to the destruction of civilian infrastructure and caused massive displacement. During the Israel's attacks; hospitals, schools, places of worship, and residential areas have been destroyed and these attacks effectively denied the population access to fundamental rights and freedoms — most notably the right to life, as well as the rights to adequate food, healthcare, shelter, education, and humanitarian assistance. Due to this humanitarian crisis, the struggle for survival has become increasingly severe for civilians, particularly children, the elderly, and the injured. Most recently- as of March 18, 2025- Israel has imposed an unlawful blockade lasting over 80 days, obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies, including food, medicine, and fuel, into the Gaza Strip. As a result, approximately 90% of the 2.3 million people living in the area are facing acute food insecurity, and dozens of children have lost their lives due to starvation.
In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s attacks and blockade on the Gaza Strip, humanitarian aid efforts have been undertaken by dedicated volunteers. Since October 2023, aid organizations have strived to deliver assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in need. However, during this period, humanitarian aid volunteers themselves have also been targeted in attacks carried out by Israel.
On 1 June 2025, as part of an initiative launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a ship named Madleen set sail with the aim of protesting Israel’s unlawful blockade of the Gaza Strip and delivering humanitarian aid to the local population. The mission sought to contribute to meeting the basic needs of civilians in Gaza and to draw the attention of the international community to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. On board the ship were 12 humanitarian aid volunteers, along with a range of essential supplies including medical equipment, flour, rice, infant formula, diapers, women's hygiene products, water purification kits, crutches, and prosthetics for children. In the early hours of 9 June 2025, Madleen was intervened by Israeli forces and this intervention, much like previous attack that disregarded international human rights law and international humanitarian law, prevented the ship from delivering its humanitarian cargo to Gaza.
Unlawful interventions targeting human right activists and aid operations constitute violations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The systematic attacks carried out by Israel in Gaza have now reached an intolerable level in the eyes of the international conscience.
As the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, we urgently call on the international community to take immediate action in response to these unlawful attacks perpetrated by Israel. We also express our sincere hopes that the human rights activists aboard the Madleen, who set sail in an effort to break the unlawful blockade on Gaza, are in good health, and we express our expectation that they will be released without delay.