Maritime Expert Says Thunberg-Led Flotilla Unlikely to Unload Aid on Gaza Beaches

A maritime law expert warned that the flotilla led by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and bound for the Gaza Strip is unlikely to be able to unload humanitarian aid on Gaza’s beaches because of a lack of docking facilities and an enforced Israeli naval blockade.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian convoy of roughly 70 boats that departed Barcelona on Sunday, is carrying food, water and medical supplies and expects to arrive in the vicinity of Gaza around Sept. 14 or 15, organizers said. High-profile participants include Thunberg, actor Liam Cunningham and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau.

"AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti"

Professor James Kraska, an international maritime law expert, told Fox News that even if the flotilla reaches the waters off Gaza, the ships will not be able to unload supplies directly onto beaches. "The whole world knows that this is coming and the IDF is going to maintain a security perimeter out in the water to protect the beaches of Gaza," Kraska said, adding that the lack of docking infrastructure in Gaza makes direct offloading impractical.

Kraska also described the Israeli naval blockade as lawful in its application of international law in this situation, an assessment he presented as his professional view to the news outlet. He said the combination of a security perimeter enforced at sea and Gaza’s limited port facilities would mean aid aboard the flotilla would be unable to reach the shore without Israeli cooperation or a formal agreement to allow deliveries.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla have framed the voyage as a civilian-led humanitarian mission intended to pressure Israeli authorities to permit deliveries to civilians in the Gaza Strip. They say the convoy is carrying essential supplies, including food, drinking water and medicine, and have called attention to humanitarian needs in the territory. The flotilla is expected to be joined by additional vessels before reaching the eastern Mediterranean.

Israel has maintained a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip for years, citing security concerns related to the militant group Hamas. Israeli authorities have consistently said they will enforce that blockade and exercise control over maritime access to Gaza. Israeli officials have also said they will allow humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza through coordinated channels and established land crossings under conditions they determine appropriate for security.

The flotilla comes amid heightened scrutiny of humanitarian access to Gaza following months of conflict. Reports from international aid organizations and governments have described severe humanitarian needs in the territory. Israel and its allies have emphasized the need to balance delivery of aid with measures to prevent the transfer of weapons or materiel that could be used for military purposes.

Delivering aid by sea presents logistical challenges even in the absence of a blockade. Gaza’s coastline lacks commercial deep-water port facilities that would permit large ships to dock and offload freight. Unloading from small vessels to beaches or via landing craft typically requires coordination, shore-based handling capacity and security arrangements to move supplies inland once ashore. In the absence of a secure, coordinated landing point and transfer mechanism, a flotilla’s cargo can be difficult to distribute effectively to those in need.

Kraska’s remarks echo assessments from other maritime specialists who point to the difficulty of sustaining bulk humanitarian deliveries without established ports or agreed offloading protocols. They noted that aid delivered to a shoreline without proper infrastructure risks remaining stranded or becoming a security liability.

Flotilla organizers and supporters have said they will push for direct deliveries and have set a political as well as humanitarian agenda, calling attention to the plight of civilians. Activists involved in previous sea-based efforts to reach Gaza have faced interception, detentions and legal challenges. Naval interdictions of vessels attempting to breach blockades have been cited by international and national authorities in earlier episodes as examples of enforcement actions taken on security grounds.

The timing of the project coincides with diplomatic efforts and intermittent ceasefire discussions in the broader conflict. Organizers say they chose a civilian-led approach in part to highlight urgency around civilian needs and to leverage international visibility. Thunberg’s participation underscores the convergence of humanitarian concerns with high-profile climate and civil society activism.

Legal scholars differ on how international law applies in blockade situations, with some focusing on the rights and protections afforded to civilians and neutral vessels, and others emphasizing the security prerogatives of states imposing blockades. Kraska’s characterization of the blockade as lawful reflects one interpretation grounded in his reading of international maritime and law-of-war principles; other experts and advocacy groups have disputed the legality or proportionality of specific blockade applications in different contexts.

As the flotilla proceeds eastward in the Mediterranean, its organizers said they will document the journey and seek to generate international attention to their cause. Israeli authorities, for their part, have reiterated the need to coordinate any deliveries and guard against attempts to smuggle weapons or supplies that could be diverted for military use.

How events unfold will depend on operational decisions by the flotilla’s organizers, responses from naval forces in the region, and any interim diplomatic agreements that might be reached to allow coordinated aid delivery. Even if the flotilla’s vessels remain at sea or are redirected, advocates say the mission has succeeded in drawing attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and pressing for expanded humanitarian channels.

The Global Sumud Flotilla’s planned arrival window in mid-September places the convoy in a region of heightened security and diplomatic focus. Organizers have urged international observers and media to monitor the voyage and highlight conditions in Gaza, while legal and maritime experts stress the practical barriers that must be addressed for sea-based aid to be offloaded and distributed safely and effectively.

"Barcelona departure, Aug. 31, 2025"

Organizers and participants have said they will continue their voyage despite the legal and operational warnings. Observers and officials in the region said they would monitor developments closely, and humanitarian agencies reiterated appeals for secure, scaled and coordinated access to civilians in need through established aid corridors and logistical channels.