Eleven Muslim activists are safe in Istanbul and will continue with the second wave of the GSF 2.0 mission

SEPEN: Ten Malaysians who were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 (GSF) aid mission were detained by Israeli forces in international waters. They are now in good health in Istanbul and are planning to join a reorganized second wave of the mission.

Director-general of the Sumud Nusantara Command Center (SNCC), Datuk Dr. Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby, said that all of them were checked out by doctors when they got to Turkey and were found to have no major injuries, even though there were reports that they had been illegally taken at midnight while sailing to Gaza.

Also read: Ten Malaysians arrested by the GSF were freed in Crete. “As of now, we know they are stable, still in a good mood, and have decided not to go back to Malaysia because the task will go on.” From time to time, tasks will be given,” he told a press gathering here on Monday (May 4).

He said that the people in charge of the mission are thinking about the next steps, which could include combining Greek and Turkish flotilla assets to get the journey going again soon.

Sani Araby also said that three of the 21 ships that were detained on April 31 were safely towed by the Open Arms ship from Barcelona after being found to be badly damaged. “One ship, the Goleta, has been found to be sunk and is thought to have been deliberately damaged. He said that efforts are still underway to tow the seventeen other ships at sea.

Sani Araby said that the mission is changing its logistical assets, such as ships, so that rebels who are currently in Turkey can be sent to other areas. It‘s not easy to do the work because 17 ships are still at sea and some are injured from what might have been sabotage. But since the task started in Barcelona, we have been ready for a number of possible outcomes, he said, including the potential for increased tensions and the need for rapid response strategies to address any unforeseen challenges.

He also said that some of the 175 detainees were allegedly beaten and abused, and 31 needed hospital treatment.

Also read: PM: “The safety of Malaysians in GSF is the government’s first priority.” The SNCC is against the unfair treatment of Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila, two important GSF workers who were locked up at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon for more than 96 hours. “They should both get a fair trial and be freed right away without any conditions,” he urged.

As part of the second wave of #BreakTheSilence and #Break The Siege, Sani Araby, also announced the start of a seven-day countdown campaign. The campaign calls for a united global push to step up efforts to free Gaza. “During this time, we will work harder, and we could announce the next trip at any time,” he said.

He also said the project has global support, including from the UN and OIC.

SNCC also asked Malaysians to keep supporting Palestine in different ways, such as on social media, but to make sure the information they share comes from reliable sources.

As a way to show support for the humanitarian effort, people were also told to say special prayers like solat hajat and Qunut Nazilah.

Bernama