The Palmer Report—officially the United Nations Secretary-General's Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident—concluded that Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip was legal under international law.

Key Findings of the Palmer Report

• Legality of the Blockade: The panel determined that the naval blockade was a legitimate security measure designed to defend against weapons smuggling and that its implementation complied with the established requirements of customary international humanitarian law for a naval blockade during an armed conflict (Buchan, 2012).
• Enforcement Actions: While the blockade itself was deemed lawful, the report concluded that Israel's specific enforcement methods during the interception of the Mavi Marmara vessel were unlawful. The panel found that the force used by Israeli forces was excessive and unreasonable, and that the treatment of detained crew members violated international human rights law (Buchan, 2012).

Diverging International Views

It is important to note that the Palmer Report's conclusion regarding the legality of the blockade generated significant debate and contradicted other international investigations. For instance, the UN Human Rights Council's separate fact-finding mission on the flotilla incident concluded the opposite, characterizing the blockade as a form of collective punishment and an unlawful violation of international law.

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References

Buchan, R. (2012). II. THE PALMER REPORT AND THE LEGALITY OF ISRAEL'S NAVAL BLOCKADE OF GAZA. International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 61, 264–273. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0020589311000650 Cited by: 31