SEPANG - The aggressive and unlawful actions by the Israeli Forces against participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 mission reflect desperation on their part, says Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) director-general Datuk Dr Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby.
He said this was the first time aggressive actions, sabotage and the alleged abduction of participants had been carried out in broad daylight with the presence of numerous boats.
"This time, we see the Israeli Forces acting in desperation. For the first time in Sumud Nusantara and also the Global Sumud Flotilla, we were intercepted during the daytime.
"We had anticipated that the interception would occur near Greek waters, and our prediction this time was quite accurate except for the timing. We expected it to happen tonight, but they arrived with many boats, showing that they were in the process of transferring the Flotilla vessels and delegates to a large "prison ship” at sea,” he said.
As of 6 pm yerterday, SNCC confirmed that eight Malaysians aboard five vessels had been detained by the Israeli Forces while en route to deliver aid to Gaza.
Sani Araby said the vessels participating in the GSF 2.0 mission began being intercepted at 3 pm Malaysian time.
In this regard, he urged the international community to open its eyes to the actions of the Israeli Forces, which he described as violating the GSF 2.0 mission that was delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Sani Araby said his team had also contacted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Wisma Putra for the government to press the relevant parties over the matter.
Meanwhile, he said the GSF legal team was gathering evidence of alleged encroachment by the Israeli Forces to bring the matter before the International Criminal Court.
Asked about the condition of the Malaysians detained by the Israeli Forces, Sani Araby said he had not received the latest updates on them as communication had been cut off.
"However, I managed to contact Hareez (aboard the Alcyone vessel), and he informed me that from his observation, it appeared that the occupying forces were splitting this large group into three smaller groups.
"And I believe this time they know that we have also deployed a team of lawyers to document any wrongdoing, and I think that is why they detained and abducted our representatives onto their vessels,” he said.
Sani Araby also called on Malaysians to continue performing solat hajat, Qunut Nazilah and continuous prayers for the safety of all mission delegates and the success of efforts to liberate Gaza. - BERNAMA