HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Wednesday called for the respect of the rights of humanitarian activists on the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international humanitarian effort to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip.

"We're obviously following the flotilla very closely. We do not want anyone to get hurt, and we want people's rights to be respected," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

Dujarric stated that the UN wants "to make sure that everyone is safe."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the aid flotilla said Wednesday that more than 20 Israeli boats were spotted approaching the aid vessels bound for the besieged enclave.

The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August and is expected to reach Gaza’s coast early Thursday under normal circumstances.

It is the first time in years that dozens of ships have sailed together toward Gaza, home to about 2.4 million Palestinians who have been under an Israeli blockade for roughly 18 years.

Israel tightened a siege on March 2 by closing all border crossings and blocking food, medicine and aid, pushing Gaza into famine, despite aid trucks piling up at its borders.

Asked about an Israeli official's remarks that anyone remaining in Gaza City will be considered "terrorists and terror supporters," Dujarric stressed that "the Israeli authorities know clearly their responsibilities to protect UN premises and UN staff."

"They know exactly where we work. We coordinate our movements with them," he affirmed, adding that the UN works to "minimize" risks in what he described as an "extremely risky environment."

He stated that UN staff remain present in Gaza City.

The Israeli army has killed more than 66,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.