SEPANG: The Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) says eight Malaysians participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 mission have been detained by Israeli Forces as of 6pm Malaysian time on Monday (May 18) 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 on board 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 on the Josef/Yusuf, was detained at 5.35pm.
SNCC director-general Datuk Dr 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 (UNCLOS).
"The IOF 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 told a press conference on the latest developments surrounding the GSF 2.0 mission here on Monday.
Sani Araby said 11 flotilla vessels had been intercepted, approached and subjected to direct interference by Israeli forces, namely Cactus, Zio Faster, Holy Blue, Ferluto, Kyriakos, Amanda, Blue Toys, Barbaris, Isobella, Josef and Tenaz (Freedom Flotilla).
He said two other individuals detained involved 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.
Sani Araby said 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. – Bernama
