UN special rapporteur finds 'reasonable grounds' Southern Spear boat strikes are crimes against humanity

Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, released a report examining 68 vessel strikes between September 2025 and August 2026 that killed at least 223 people, finding 'reasonable grounds' that the killings meet the legal definition of murder as a crime against humanity given their systematic character under an organized state policy and the scale of casualties. Two further September strikes brought the tally to roughly 70 strikes and 234 dead by the report's release. The report calls on the US to investigate the killings, prosecute those responsible — including political and military leaders who ordered the strikes — and provide reparations to victims' families. Secretary of State Rubio rejected the findings, saying 'every strike has a legal officer on the deck that has to make a determination about whether the call is legal or not.'