On August 31st, a fleet of ships set sail from Barcelona carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Global Sumud Flotilla, joined now by a Tunisian contingent, will meet up with even more ships sailing from Italy and Greece—and then onwards to Gaza. The flotilla carries food, medicine, baby formula, and other essential goods for the starving and displaced Palestinian population in the enclave.

The supplies are critical support for the hundreds of thousands of civilians suffering under Israel’s ongoing military attacks and illegal 17-year blockade of the region.

Israel has made it clear that flotillas carrying aid would be intercepted, raided, and attacked before they could successfully deliver humanitarian aid. The latest plan presented by Israel’s National Security Minister threatens flotilla activists with prolonged prison detentions under harsh conditions with no access to basic needs or outside communication.

Just this week, the flotillas reported two separate attacks from suspected drones at a port near Tunis. The nonviolent activists on the flotilla come from over 44 different countries, and are civilian-led human rights defenders.

They have bravely stepped up to help the people of Gaza, as governments around the globe have failed to guarantee safe and unimpeded humanitarian aid.

The flotilla deserves safe passage to accomplish its humanitarian mission. Any interception or attack on the flotilla’s crew is potentially a grave violation of international law.

International law maintains that Gaza is unlawfully occupied territory and that Israel’s blockade amounts to illegal collective punishment. Many experts, scholars, and humanitarian lawyers have identified Israel’s actions as a genocide against the Palestinian people.

Every state that’s part of the UN Charter and Geneva Conventions has an obligation to guarantee global respect for humanitarian law. And the U.S. and EU have a responsibility to pressure Israel to end the blockade and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

U.S. and European lawmakers—alongside the governments from every part of the world—must act now and demand safe passage for the flotilla’s humanitarian activists to successfully provide the aid that Gaza’s civilians so desperately need.

Add your name and tell U.S. lawmakers and European governments to demand Israel end its brutal, 17-year blockade of Gaza and allow the humanitarian flotillas to deliver critical aid to its civilians.