ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) here on 19th May, 2026 has condemned “renewed Israeli assaults against the Global Sumud Flotilla,” along with FMs of Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives, and Spain.
MOFA termed the flotilla a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinians.
Terming the flotilla ‘a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative, aimed at drawing attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people’, MOFA said that the ministers “recall with grave concern the Israeli interventions against previous flotillas in international waters”.
Foreign Ministers of ten countries asserted that such assaults, including attacks against the vessels and arbitrary detention of activists, constitute blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law.
Last September, following reports that Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF – a fleet of 52 small boats harboring 500 unarmed participants, symbolically) attempting to provide aid to Gaza was targeted by drones, Italy and Spain have sent frigates to protect it.
Commenting on the latest attack at Flotilla the organization stated Tuesday (23rd Sept, 2025): “In the final days before reaching Gaza, the GSF is experiencing an alarmingly dangerous escalation, with multiple boats reporting targeted explosions and unidentified objects being dropped on and near the boats, causing significant damage and widespread obstruction in communication.”
On 8th June last year Defence Minister Israel Katz had ordered IDF to block Gaza-bound aid flotilla Madeleen, harboring twelve activists.
Katz stated: “I have instructed the military to prevent the Madleen flotilla from reaching Gaza…Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade of Gaza, which is aimed at preventing weapons from reaching Hamas – a murderous terrorist group holding our hostages and committing war crimes…Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or support terror groups – by sea, air or land.”
Sailing boat Madleen (operated by Freedom Flotilla Coalition), that set sail from Sicily on 1st June 2025 endeavoured to enter the territorial waters of Gaza breaching naval blockade imposed by Israel in order to deliver aid supplies and to highlight humanitarian tragedy in the enclave. It may be recalled that earlier another such vessel was halted by means of two drones.
Newspakistan.tv
