SEPANG: The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2026 mission has entered its final phase with a total of 54 ships beginning to depart from Marmaris Port, Turkiye, heading towards Gaza at about 7.30pm Malaysian time on Thursday (May 14).
Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) director-general Datuk Dr Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby said the voyage involves nearly 500 international participants from 45 countries mobilised by various global humanitarian activist groups.
He said the mission received full support, particularly from the Malaysian government with the backing of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as well as from Turkiye, Spain and Brazil.
"This final phase voyage is also taking place a day before the Nakba event, namely on May 15, 1948, 78 years ago,” he said at a press conference here on Thursday.
Sani Araby said SNCC also confirmed that more than 40 participants from six countries, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, are taking part in the voyage.
He said that of the total, 29 Malaysian participants aged between 22 and 58, comprising professionals from various fields, are continuing the voyage from Marmaris.
According to Sani Araby, five ships from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) were also joining the mission.
He said three Malaysian participants, namely Mohamad Aqil Asmadi, Mohamad Zurini Karim and Hajah Sereba Mustafa Al-Bakri, would be returning home to strengthen SNCC's field operation strategy.
Sani Araby also said that the SNCC had revised the radius of the yellow and red zone lines based on the latest security risk analysis in the operational area.
"Based on the current assessment, the route from Marmaris up to 30 nautical miles is classified as the Green Zone, while the area between 30 nautical miles and 150 nautical miles is placed under the Yellow Zone.
"Subsequently, the route beginning from 150 nautical miles until entering Gaza waters is now categorised as the Red Zone, which carries the most critical level of security risk throughout this voyage mission," he said. — Bernama
