No Vessel Withdrawn From Global Sumud Flotilla Mission - Nadir Al-nuri

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- No vessel participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission to Gaza has withdrawn to date, said Cinta Gaza Malaysia (CGM) chief executive officer Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri Kamaruzaman.

Nadir, who is leading the Sumud Nusantara group, said however that several vessels were unable to sail due to damage believed to have been caused by sabotage.

He said Indonesia had also withdrawn earlier to make way for other delegations since the Tunisia stopover, according to a post on his Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Muslim Care Malaysia media director Tuan Asri Tuan Hussein, who is also participating in the mission, said the flotilla had reached southern Greek waters, involving nearly 30 boats.

The GSF, carrying food, medicine and messages of peace, is scheduled to arrive in Gaza waters at the end of this month with international participation from Europe, Asia, South Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

A total of 34 Malaysians participating in the GSF mission are sailing under the Sumud Nusantara banner. They are currently in international waters near Greece and are expected to enter the yellow zone at any time before reaching Greek waters.

Meanwhile, Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) director-general Datuk Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby said the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission, now on its 27th day of sailing, continues to head towards Gaza despite facing technical challenges and waves of propaganda warfare.

He said the flotilla is currently in Greek waters and has not yet entered the yellow zone, adding that all Malaysian delegates are reported to be in good health.

“No official reports of drone activity were recorded yesterday. The last incident was a sound bomb attack involving 15 drones on Sept 22,” he said in a statement today.

He added that following the incident, the Italian and Spanish governments deployed two military ships to help strengthen security in Mediterranean waters, while the Greek Coast Guard also stepped-up patrols.

Sani Araby said several ships, including the Family Mediera, had sustained damage, but technical teams were mobilised for immediate repair works, along with restructuring the positions of participants on board to ensure the safety and smooth progress of the mission.

“To date, no boat has withdrawn from the mission. There have been several captains and crew members who stepped down, but this was expected. The flotilla secretariat has since replaced them with trained personnel,” he said.

He also urged all parties to refer to the SNCC as the mission’s official source of information, in light of various propaganda narratives aimed at creating fear and undermining the morale of the delegation.

-- BERNAMA