SEPANG, May 18 — The Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) has confirmed that eight Malaysians participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 mission were detained by the Israeli Forces as of 6pm Malaysian time today, after the vessels they were travelling on were intercepted while en route to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Activist Zainal Rashid Ahmad was detained at 5pm while sailing aboard the vessel Amanda.
Muhamad Muhsin Zaidi, who was on board the Isobella, was intercepted at 5.20pm, while three Malaysians travelling on the Ferluto: S. Patmanathan, Muhammad Amirul Afif Mohd Azhar, and Dr Syakirin Muhamed Senin, were detained at 4.50pm.
Two others detained were Mohammad Syazly Mohammad Shees and Tengku Ahmad Taufik Tengku Noor Zahari after their vessel Cactus was intercepted at 4pm.
Activist Ahmad Musa Al-Nuwayri Kamaruzzaman, who was sailing on the Josef/Yusuf, was detained at 5.35pm.
SNCC director-general Datuk Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby said the flotilla was about 241 nautical miles from the Gaza coast when it was intercepted, within recognised international waters protected under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“The Israeli forces adopted provocative tactics by deploying several rigid inflatable boats towards the flotilla, while the presence of two warships and a prison ship was also detected near the flotilla’s operational area,” he said during a media conference on the latest developments surrounding the GSF 2.0 mission.
Sani added that 11 flotilla vessels had been intercepted, approached and subjected to direct interference by Israeli forces, including Cactus, Zio Faster, Holy Blue, Ferluto, Kyriakos, Amanda, Blue Toys, Barbaris, Isobella, Josef, and Tenaz (Freedom Flotilla).
Two other detained individuals were Sumud Nusantara delegates: Abdul Sattar Edhi Muhammad Saad from Pakistan, who was aboard the Zio Faster, and Indonesian national Andi Anga Prasadewa, who was travelling on the Josef.
He said that 41 flotilla vessels, including those carrying 21 Malaysians, were continuing their voyage to Gaza despite facing extremely high security risks due to ongoing threats of interception, harassment and aggressive action by Israeli forces.
“SNCC is closely monitoring the latest developments involving the flotilla operation and will continue to provide official updates from time to time regarding the safety status and movement of the flotilla.
“SNCC also calls on the international community, human rights organisations and the global maritime community to give serious attention to the intimidation and security threats faced by this civilian humanitarian mission in international waters,” Sani said.
