SERDANG: The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) humanitarian mission, with nine Malaysians aboard, is expected to reach the yellow zone, 300 nautical miles off the Gaza coast, within the next 24 hours, as of Saturday afternoon (Oct 4).
Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE) chief executive officer Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar said the mission, which involves nine ships, including the flagship Conscience and the Umm Saad vessel, was anticipated to enter the red zone in three to four days, depending on the sailing strategy.
"This mission focuses on sending international journalists, medical experts, and activists to Gaza. The Conscience ship is carrying medical supplies and baby food worth RM500,000.
"If allowed to dock in Gaza, the doctors and journalists will spend two full days working on the Gaza coast," he told a press conference on the mission's progress on Saturday.
Kamarul added that Conscience was carrying 10 crew members, 20 international journalists, 21 medical professionals, three Members of Parliament from Turkiye, 34 activists, and six members of the FFC Steering Committee.
The eight Malaysian representatives aboard the ship, which departed from Porto Otranto, Italy, on Sept 30, are chief delegate Prof Emeritus Dr Mohd Alauddin Mohd Ali; three doctors, Dr Fauziah Mohd Hassan, Dr Hafiz Sulaiman, and Dr Ili Syakira Mohd Suhaimi; two lecturers, Prof Dr Mond Afandi Salleh and Dr Noorhasyimah Ismail; MyCare trustee Norsham Abu Bakar and Astro Awani journalist Syafik Shukri Abdul Jalil.
Meanwhile, another doctor, Dr Maziah Muhammad, was aboard the Umm Saad ship that left Catania, Sicily, on Sept 27, along with seven other vessels heading towards Gaza.
In total, around 150 participants from 25 countries are part of this FFC mission, with MyCare leading the Malaysian delegation.
On Saturday, the nine Malaysian representatives shared in a live broadcast their readiness to face any challenges and reiterated their determination despite the obstacles they may encounter.
"We are ready, though we do not know when the Zionist regime may intercept us. We promise to look out for each other and remain calm, without provocation, should the Israeli military attempt to board the ships.
"We are committed to this mission and remain hopeful for its success. We want the international community to know that Gaza has not been forgotten," they said.
It is worth noting that previous flotilla missions have been intercepted by the Israeli military, including the Zaytouna (2016), Al-Awda (2018), Conscience, Handala, and Madleen (2024) ships, which led to the detention of volunteers and international figures from over 40 countries. – Bernama
