Sinn Féin MEPs Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion have tonight written to the Israeli authorities demanding safe passage for the Madleen humanitarian vessel and all the crew on board.
They reiterated to the Israeli Government that any interference with this mission, whether through interception, seizure, or detention, would constitute a serious breach of multiple bodies of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
The MEPs also reminded Israeli authorities that rote invocation of “self-defence” does not exempt any state from its obligations under international humanitarian and criminal law, particularly where acts of starvation, targeting of civilians, and obstruction of aid may constitute crimes under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute.
Lynn Boylan MEP, who is Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine, said:
“The crew on board the Madleen are doing what the international community have consistently failed to – attempting to break the illegal blockade and siege of Gaza and end the forced starvation of the Palestinian people.
“The threats against the vessel must end, and international law must be respected.
“The crew – including our colleague Rima Hassan MEP – have undertaken a voyage to demand that international law is upheld and that the continued starvation and murder of Palestinians in Gaza is brought to an end.
“European leaders need to make clear their support for the Madleen and their commitment to protecting the crew and ensuring their safety as they carry out their mission.”
Kathleen Funchion MEP said:
“International law and our common humanity demand that we support the work of the Madleen and that they are able to complete their voyage and deliver the lifesaving humanitarian aid on board.
“We have witnessed over these last months forced starvation being inflicted on an entire population and this and other war crimes being met with little to no action from world leaders. As elected representatives, we are demanding an end to the forced starvation, the lifting of the blockade and siege and an end to the genocide.”
