KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno has strongly condemned Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) and detention of international volunteers carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, calling the action a clear breach of international law and human rights.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 2) that the party viewed the incident as a blatant violation of the principle of freedom of navigation and an attempt to politicise much-needed aid for a population already suffering under a long-standing blockade.
"While the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the volunteers would be deported, the key question remains, why was humanitarian aid prevented from reaching people in desperate need?" he said.
Bung stressed that the flotilla posed no security risk as it carried only food, medicine and other essential supplies for civilians in Gaza.
"The detention of these volunteers exposes the arrogance of the Israeli regime and its deliberate politicisation of humanitarian aid, aimed at sustaining the inhumane siege on Gaza," he said.
He said the matter extended far beyond the detention or deportation of volunteers, as it highlighted the broader issue of collective punishment inflicted on Palestinians through the ongoing blockade.
"As long as aid is blocked, the people of Gaza will continue to suffer.
"Israel cannot hide behind so-called security concerns to deny Palestinians their right to live with dignity," he added.
Bung urged the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take immediate action, describing the seizure of a civilian vessel in international waters as a unilateral crime and pointing out that the blockade violates UN Resolutions 1860 (2009) and 2417 (2018).
He reaffirmed Sabah Umno's solidarity with the flotilla volunteers and the Palestinian people, saying their courage symbolises global resistance against oppression.
"The world must not remain silent. The question now is whether the international community will act to uphold justice, or continue to allow humanitarian aid to be obstructed," Bung said.
According to multiple international reports, Israeli authorities intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters late on Oct 1 into Oct 2, detaining volunteers on board and informing them they would be deported.
The mission, involving several boats, was carrying food, medicine and essential supplies to civilians in Gaza suffering under Israel's long-standing blockade.
