GENEVA — Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) issues this urgent appeal to the international community, expressing its most rigorous condemnation of the arbitrary legal and security measures perpetrated by Israeli occupation authorities against humanitarian activists Tiago Ávila (Brazil) and Saif Abu Kashk (Spain).

The organization characterizes the recent judicial endorsement to extend their detention—issued by an Israeli court on Tuesday, May 5, at the behest of the prosecution—as a strategic instrument of intimidation intended to suppress global civil solidarity with the besieged population of the Gaza Strip.

The Incident: High-Seas Interception and Violation of Sovereignty

The current crisis originated on April 30, when the Israeli navy intercepted the vessels of the Global Freedom Flotilla within international waters. These vessels were navigating a humanitarian course, more than 1,000 kilometers from the Gaza coast, in a civilian-led mission to challenge the illegal blockade and deliver symbolic relief to a population enduring what international legal observers have identified as ongoing acts of mass atrocity.

Women Journalists Without Chains asserts that the seizure of these vessels and the subsequent abduction of participants constitute a flagrant violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Geneva Conventions. The organization emphasizes that the principles of freedom of navigation in international waters are non-derogable, and the transformation of the Mediterranean into a zone of military interception against aid workers sets a perilous precedent for the international legal order.

Systemic Abuse and the Humanitarian Toll of Detention

While many participants were eventually released or deported, the continued detention of Tiago Ávila and Saif Abu Kashk reflects a targeted policy of judicial harassment. Credible human rights intelligence obtained by Women Journalists Without Chains reveals that both activists are being subjected to conditions that arguably amount to psychological torture. Reports indicate they are held in absolute isolation, subjected to continuous exposure to high-intensity artificial lighting to induce sleep deprivation, and are frequently blindfolded during interrogations.

Adding a profound layer of human tragedy to this legal injustice, Women Journalists Without Chains notes with deep sorrow the passing of Tiago Ávila’s mother while he remained in Israeli custody. The inability of Mr. Ávila to communicate with his family or participate in mourning his loss underscores the cruelty inherent in these arbitrary detentions. The organization holds the Israeli occupation authorities morally and legally accountable for the psychological distress inflicted upon these humanitarian volunteers.

The Freedom Flotilla: A Global Mandate for Relief

The Global Freedom Flotilla, launched as a massive civilian initiative in 2025, represents the largest humanitarian maritime endeavor to date. Comprising 58 vessels and over 400 participants from 70 nations—including parliamentarians, medical professionals, and human rights defenders—the flotilla embodies the collective will of global civil society.

The mission, which commenced from Barcelona on April 12 and was bolstered by Italian vessels from Syracuse and Augusta, was a direct response to the catastrophic humanitarian collapse in Gaza. To date, Israeli forces have detained 175 activists from 22 different vessels, effectively treating humanitarian relief as a security threat.

Gaza: The Context of Starvation and Mass Atrocity

The aggression against the flotilla cannot be viewed in isolation from the prevailing reality in the Gaza Strip. Women Journalists Without Chains highlights that the interception of aid occurs as the Palestinian population reaches a definitive stage of famine. By late September 2025, the Gaza Ministry of Health documented 453 deaths directly attributed to a deliberate "starvation policy," including 150 children.

Statistical reports covering the period from October 7, 2023, through April 29, 2026, record a staggering toll of 72,599 fatalities received by hospitals. The obstruction of the Freedom Flotilla is, therefore, an extension of a systematic policy to entrench the blockade, collapse the health system, and weaponize the deprivation of food and medicine against more than two million civilians.

A Documented Pattern of Maritime Aggression

The organization observes that the assault on the current flotilla is part of an established and intensifying pattern of maritime piracy. Women Journalists Without Chains has meticulously documented several previous attacks that illustrate a premeditated intent to dismantle humanitarian corridors:

1. The September 2025 Escalation: Israeli officials utilized inflammatory rhetoric, labeling humanitarian volunteers as "terrorists" before launching a series of kinetic attacks involving armed drones. This included the burning of the main flotilla vessel on September 9 and strikes near Tunisian and Greek territorial waters.
2. The Seizure of the Hanzala (July 26, 2025): Occupation forces seized this relief vessel in international waters while it was carrying critical supplies, including infant formula, directly contributing to the deepening famine.
3. The Madeline Incident (June 9, 2025): The vessel was targeted with quadcopters emitting acoustic harassment and unknown chemical substances before naval commandos cut all communications and arrested the crew.
4. The Conchias – Global Conscience Attack (May 2, 2025): A violent assault resulted in a major fire aboard the ship, which carried activists from 21 countries.

Legal Imperatives and Call for Global Accountability

Women Journalists Without Chains maintains that the persistent impunity enjoyed by the Israeli occupation regarding these maritime violations encourages a transition from state-led security measures to outright piracy. The organization asserts that these acts violate the sovereign rights of the participants' home nations and mock the collective humanitarian conscience.

In light of these developments, the organization demands:

• Immediate Release: The unconditional release of Tiago Ávila, Saif Abu Kashk, and all detained activists, with full restitution of their property.
• Protection of Navigation: A UN mandate to secure safe passage for humanitarian vessels and uphold freedom of navigation in international waters.
• International Inquiry: The establishment of an independent commission to investigate repeated maritime attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
• Lifting the Blockade: Decisive international action to end the Gaza blockade and ensure the unhindered flow of life-saving aid.

Women Journalists Without Chains concludes by warning that the legitimization of attacks on peaceful humanitarian initiatives threatens the very foundations of the international legal order. The struggle of the Freedom Flotilla is not merely a regional issue; it is a global stand for the preservation of humanity against the mechanics of systematic starvation and institutionalized violence.