GSF: Marinette, Last Mission Ship, Intercepted By Israel

SEPANG, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Hopes of seeing the Marinette, the last ship of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission, heading to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, were dashed when it was intercepted by the Israeli military this afternoon.

Based on the live broadcast transmitted via closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC), armed Israeli soldiers were seen entering the ship at 3.30 pm (Malaysian time).

The Marinette was previously reported to be sailing in the Red Zone R2 and was approximately 60 nautical miles from Gaza before being intercepted. With this latest incident, all 42 ships participating in the GSF mission heading to Gaza waters have been intercepted since early Thursday morning.

Previously, over 450 activists from 47 countries were transferred to the Port of Ashdod in southern Israel.

The activists on board the ship attacked by Israel were from various countries, including Malaysia, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Greece, the United States, Germany, Sweden, Britain and France.

The GSF fleet, carrying various humanitarian aid items including medical supplies, has been sailing since late August.

This is the first time in several years that approximately 50 ships have sailed together towards Gaza, carrying hundreds of civilians who support the mission.

Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, which is home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years and tightened it further in March by closing border crossings and preventing the delivery of food and medicine, pushing the territory into a state of famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombings have claimed the lives of over 66,200 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children.

The United Nations (UN) and human rights groups have repeatedly warned that the region is becoming increasingly uninhabitable, with famine and disease spreading rapidly.

-- BERNAMA