SEPANG: The Marinette, the last ship sailing towards Gaza from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), has been intercepted by Israeli forces.
From a live broadcast seen at the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC), armed Israeli soldiers were seen boarding the vessel at 3.30pm Malaysian time.
The Marinette was previously reported to be sailing in the Red Zone R2 and was approximately 60 nautical miles from Gaza before it was intercepted.
With this latest incident, all 42 ships participating in the GSF mission heading to Gaza have been intercepted.
Previously, over 450 activists from 47 countries who were in intercepted GSF vessels, had been transferred to the Port of Ashdod in southern Israel.
The activists are from various countries, including Malaysia, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Greece, the United States, Germany, Sweden, Britain and France.
The GSF fleet, carrying various humanitarian aid items including medical supplies, has been sailing since late August.
This is the first time in several years that approximately 50 ships have sailed together towards Gaza, carrying hundreds of civilians supporting the mission.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, which is home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years and tightened it further in March by closing border crossings and preventing the delivery of food and medicine, pushing the territory into a state of famine.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombings have claimed the lives of over 66,200 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children.
The United Nations and human rights groups have repeatedly warned that the region is becoming increasingly uninhabitable, with famine and disease spreading rapidly. – Bernama
