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• Flotilla halted, 39 boats seized; Israel says activists to be deported
• PM condemns ‘dastardly attack’, demands return of Pakistanis
• Foreign Office says it is ‘in contact with partners in the region’ to ensure citizens’ safe return
KARACHI: Several pro-Palestinian activists, including former Jamaat-i-Islami senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were captured by Israeli troops that intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Mr Ahmad, who was leading a five-member Pakistani delegation, joined the flotilla alongside international activists and humanitarian aid groups in an effort to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The flotilla began its voyage last month, with politicians and activists heading to Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has set in.
On Wednesday night, Israeli forces began intercepting the flotilla’s latest bid to reach Gaza. Israel intercepted 39 boats with foreign activists on board to Gaza, leaving only one vessel still sailing towards the Palestinian enclave, the flotilla organisers said.
The 45-vessel flotilla, with activists and politicians including Greta Thunberg on board, left Spain last month to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations has warned of famine.
Tel Aviv said on Thursday it would deport the activists, adding that none of the vessels had breached its maritime blockade of the territory. It said the activists would be deported to Europe, without specifying which countries they would be sent to. The Israeli troops were filmed boarding and holding activists from several vessels at gunpoint. The flotilla’s organisers had equipped each boat with cameras livestreaming every minute of their voyage as a security measure against just such an occurrence.
In a statement, the flotilla organisers said: “Beyond the confirmed interceptions, live streams and communications with several other vessels have been lost.”
‘Dastardly attack’
In a post on X in the early hours of Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the Pakistani nationals who were on board the flotilla when it was seized by Israel.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the dastardly attack by Israeli forces on the 40 vessel Samud Gaza flotilla, carrying over 450 humanitarian workers from 44 countries. We hope and pray for the safety of all those who have been illegally apprehended by Israeli forces and call for their immediate release.”
In another post later in the day, PM Shehbaz appreciated the “dignified” participation of Pakistani nationals in the Sumud Gaza Flotilla and demanded their return.
He appreciated the Pakistani nationals, including Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Mazhar Saeed Shah, Wajahat Ahmed, Dr Osama Riaz, Ismail Khan, Syed Aziz Nizami and Fahad Ishtiaq, who took part in this humanitarian mission. “The government of Pakistan ... strongly demands the return of its citizens while praying and striving for their safety, dignity and swift return to the homeland,” he added.
President Asif Ali Zardari echoed the sentiment, terming the attack on the aid mission a serious violation of human rights and international laws. The president called on the international community to ensure an uninterrupted supply of aid to the citizens of Gaza.
Expressing best wishes for the safety and immediate return of Pakistanis present on the flotilla, he said Pakistan would always stand with the oppressed Palestinian people.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said that as Pakistan does not recognise Israel, it was working closely with international partners in the region to secure the immediate release of the Pakistani citizens aboard the flotilla and ensure their safety.
With input from Agencies, and Iftikhar A Khan in Islamabad
Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2025
