By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Israeli forces seized at least 10 vessels from a multinational humanitarian flotilla attempting to reach Gaza on Monday and detained dozens of international activists, including Saad Edhi, the son of Pakistan’s most prominent social worker and the grandson of the late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi.
The interception occurred in international waters near Cyprus, roughly 250 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip, according to organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Contact was lost with 23 vessels in total, the group said. Live video footage shared by the flotilla showed military ships approaching the boats in broad daylight as Israeli forces boarded the first vessel.
The episode marked the third attempt by the same organization to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza by sea. Previous missions were similarly intercepted — one in October that included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants, and another that departed from Spain on April 12 and was diverted to Crete, with two activists detained in Israel.
Faisal Edhi, who leads the Edhi Foundation, Pakistan’s largest private welfare organization, confirmed his son’s detention in a video posted on Monday on the foundation’s official Facebook page. “At around 1 p.m. today, the Gaza aid flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces near Cyprus and its members have been arrested, including Saad Edhi,” he said. Faisal Edhi said the activists were taken into custody in international waters, adding that their mobile phones were confiscated and their whereabouts were unknown. “They were arrested illegally,” he said. “Israeli forces have no right to do so.”
Saad Edhi, a Pakistani citizen, had helped oversee the purchase of humanitarian supplies in Turkey before boarding the flotilla last week in Marmaris, according to the Edhi Foundation. The cargo included ration supplies, dry food, medicines and baby formula intended for civilians in Gaza.
In a video statement recorded before the interception and later released by the foundation, Saad Edhi described the mission as “a non-violent humanitarian aid mission” and “peaceful.” He said the group was carrying aid to end “the illegal blockade and siege” of Gaza. “If we are arrested by Israeli Occupation Forces or the Israeli Defence Forces, it is the responsibility of the Pakistani government to coordinate and make efforts to ensure my release,” he added.
Faisal Edhi appealed directly to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry to intervene, urging it to engage the United Nations and the international community. He described the Israeli action as “illegal and inhuman conduct” and called for an end to “genocide in Gaza.” He also said his son and other activists had been tortured before being detained.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry had signaled its intentions earlier on Monday in a post on X, stating that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.” The ministry called on participants “to change course and turn back immediately.” Israeli officials have not publicly confirmed the detentions or provided details about the activists’ status.
The Global Sumud Flotilla organizers, who said more than 400 activists from 39 countries were aboard — including two dozen Turks — described the mission as legal and nonviolent. They demanded safe passage, posting on X: “Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight. We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission.”
The incident comes amid persistent international criticism of Israel’s restrictions on aid entering Gaza, even after a ceasefire took hold in October that included commitments to increase humanitarian access. Palestinian authorities, international aid organizations, Turkey and several other countries have said supplies remain insufficient for the enclave’s more than 2 million residents. Most Gazans have been displaced, many living in damaged buildings, makeshift tents along roadsides or on rubble-strewn lots.
The Edhi family is one of Pakistan’s most revered for its charitable work. The late Abdul Sattar Edhi built a nationwide network of ambulances, orphanages and disaster-relief operations that has extended aid internationally for decades. Saad Edhi joined the flotilla as part of that tradition of humanitarian engagement, his father said.
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