• Over 100 activists ‘abducted’ after flotilla vessels boarded in eastern Mediterranean
• Faisal Edhi appeals for Foreign Office, UN intervention; HRCP slams Israeli action
• Irish president’s sister, Italian lawmaker also among detained activists

KARACHI / ISTANBUL: Saad Edhi, son of prominent social worker Faisal Edhi and grandson of late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, was detained by Israeli forces on Monday along with around 100 other members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, after at least 10 boats were intercepted in the eastern Mediterranean.

The organisers of the flotilla said Israeli forces had intercepted 10 of their boats and that contact had been lost with a total of 23 vessels in the eastern Mediterranean.

Earlier, Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza”.

In a video posted on Edhi’s official Facebook handle, Faisal said that at around 1pm, “the Gaza aid flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces near Cyprus and its members have been arrested, including Saad Edhi”.

He also appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take action following his son’s detention by Israeli forces.

“They were arrested in international waters and Israeli forces have no right to do so. Israel has arrested them illegally and their whereabouts are unknown,” he said.

He said that Saad, a Pakistani citizen, was part of the Gaza Sumud Flotilla and was going to help war-affected people in Gaza. He added that around 500 people from different countries were also part of it. “They were bringing food and medicines for the people of Gaza.”

He also appealed to the ministry to confer with the United Nations and the international community against this “illegal and inhuman conduct by Israeli forces” and to stop the “genocide in Gaza”.

Earlier in the day, Mr Saad also issued a video statement from the Gaza Sumud Flotilla.

“I am Saad Edhi, a Pakistani citizen. If you are watching this video, it means that I have been intercepted or am being intercepted,” he said.

He described it as a “non-violent humanitarian aid mission” for Gaza.

“We are going to Gaza, and 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.

In a post on X, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned the interception of the Gaza-bound flotilla by Israeli forces in international waters and the detention of Saad Edhi alongside other international activists.

“Such actions constitute a serious violation of international law and humanitarian principles,” it added. “Reports of the mistreatment of those aboard the flotilla are especially alarming and demand urgent international scrutiny,” it added.

“We urge the Pakistan government to act immediately to secure the safe release of all Pakistani nationals aboard the flotilla and publicly clarify the measures being pursued in response to this incident,” it concluded.

‘Latest attempt’

The Global Sumud Flotilla vessels are the latest in a string of attempts by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, with the last convoy intercepted by Israeli forces last month.

“Global Sumud Flotilla is under attack!” the group wrote on X.

“The Israeli occupation has again illegally and violently intercepted our international fleet of humanitarian vessels and abduc­ted our volunteers,” it added.

“We are outraged by the normalisation of these violations of international maritime law and the kidnapping of peaceful civilians in international waters,” it said, demanding the swift release of the activists and the end of the blockade of Gaza.

A website tracking the flotilla’s location showed several vessels being intercepted west of Cyprus.

Video footage shared by the organisers showed activists filming as Israeli forces approached and boarded the boats.

More than 50 vessels departed from the Turkish port city of Marmaris last week in what organisers described as the final stage of a journey aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

The group said there were two dozen Turks among those on the intercepted vessels, some 250 nautical miles (463km) from Gaza. It said there were 426 people taking part in the flotilla from 39 countries.

‘State terrorism’

Dr Margaret Connolly, the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, is also among the activists captured by Israeli forces.

Speaking to reporters in Lon­don after a meeting with Britain’s King Charles, Connolly said that she hasn’t spoken to her yet, adding: “I’m very proud of my sister but I’m worried about her”.

Activist Suayb Ordu, who was aboard one of the vessels, told Turkish channel NTV that the activists had “no choice but to raise our hands and surrender peacefully without offering any resistance”.

Indonesian newspaper Republika said nine Indonesians were part of the detained group, including two of its journalists.Meanwhile, the Global Sumud Flotilla said that five of its Canadian members and one from the Freedom Flotilla that is part of the same mission had also been detained.

According to Maria Elena Delia, spokesperson for Italy for the Global Sumud Flotilla, nine of her compatriots were among those detained. European lawmakers on Monday denounced the recent Israeli attack against the Gaza-bound Global Sumud aid flotilla in international waters.

European Parliament Left Group co-chair Manon Aubry called the interception of the flotilla “a new act of piracy” and “a blatant disregard for international law”.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI), also voiced support for the people aboard the flotilla, who he said “defy the world’s most immoral army to oppose a sadistic genocide”.

Separately, Italian member on the European Parliament, Danilo Della Valle, said “all of this is intolerable”, adding that Italian lawmaker Dario Carotenuto was among those detained.

With input from Monitoring Desk and Agencies

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2026