SHAH ALAM – As their humanitarian mission draws closer to Gaza, the crew aboard the Conscience vessel have begun emergency drills to prepare for the possibility of an Israeli military assault in the open sea.
The Conscience, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) x Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) mission, conducted a surprise emergency drill early Tuesday morning to ensure all participants were prepared for potential hostilities.
Deputy Head of the Malaysian Delegation, Professor Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh said the drill was carried out at 4am local time while everyone was asleep, simulating a real emergency situation.
“This morning’s drill was quite unusual as it took place while everyone was asleep.
"As soon as the alarm sounded, all participants rushed to the main deck, put on their life jackets, and followed the designated safety instructions.
“The ship had entered its eighth day of voyage since setting sail on September 30 and was now approximately 200 nautical miles from Gaza’s coastline.
"It has resumed sailing after stopping for nearly 36 hours in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Early this morning, the vessel began moving again alongside another ship currently ahead of us,” he said in a video posted on his TikTok account.
He added that the atmosphere onboard remained calm and stable, with all crew members and activists in good health and mentally prepared to face any risk.
Currently, the Conscience is sailing in formation with other vessels towards the red zone near Gaza’s maritime boundary, an area known to be tightly guarded by the Israeli navy.
In the midst of the tension, the Muslim activists onboard have continued their daily religious practices, including congregational prayers and combined shortened prayers (Jamak Qasar prayers).
“Every day we perform the ‘subuh’ (dawn) prayer at 6am with an imam who takes turns leading. This morning, an imam from Jordan delivered a brief sermon after the prayer,” Afandi added.
He said the sermon focused on strengthening faith and staying close to Allah during times of danger, while encouraging frequent remembrance (zikir), repentance (istighfar) and Quran recitation, reminding everyone to avoid actions that could diminish the spiritual blessings of their mission.