Spanish
The Malaysian government on Thursday asked Israel to "immediately" release 23 Malaysian citizens detained during the interception of several Global Sumud Flotilla ships traveling to Gaza with humanitarian aid.
"I urge that all Malaysians and international activists and volunteers be released immediately! It is a humanitarian mission with unarmed civilians carrying vital aid to Gaza," said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on X, who "strongly" condemned the interception.
The leader indicated that, after receiving information about the detention of 23 Malaysians aboard the Flotilla, he initiated contacts with the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al Thani, and the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and that in the coming hours he plans to do so with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The organization had previously put the number of Malaysians on board at twelve.
Only three ships continue sailing while 39 have been intercepted or "apparently intercepted", according to the tracking page of the Global Sumud Flotilla itself.
"Malaysia will use all legitimate and legal means at our disposal to ensure that Israel is held accountable, especially in matters concerning Malaysian citizens," Anwar asserted.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, composed of more than 40 ships and 500 volunteers who set sail from the coasts of Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Tunisia, and Italy, was surrounded on Wednesday afternoon by Israeli ships when it was about 80 nautical miles from Gaza.
Among those detained by Israel are also 30 Spanish people, as well as 22 Italians, 21 Turks, 11 from Tunisia, 11 from Brazil and ten from France, and citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico or Colombia.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that several ships were "detained without incident" and that their passengers were being transferred to a port in the Hebrew country.
The first intercepted ship was the Alma, one of the main ones in the mission and where the activist Greta Thunberg was traveling.
