ISLAMABAD– Pakistan has launched urgent diplomatic efforts to secure the release of its citizens detained by Israeli forces after the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, including former senator Mushtaq Ahmed, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday.
The flotilla, one of the largest maritime missions carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Wednesday. The raid led to the detention of around 200 activists, among them Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan is working with allied and regional partners to ensure the safety of its citizens. “Pakistan does not recognise Israel, but we are in touch with friendly countries to guarantee the protection of our nationals,” she said, condemning what Islamabad called Israel’s “dastardly attack” on the aid mission.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement on X, demanded the immediate release of all detainees. “Their crime was to carry aid for the hapless Palestinian people. This barbarity must end,” he declared.
The flotilla of over 40 civilian boats carried food and medical supplies for Palestinians under siege in Gaza. Organisers confirmed that while several vessels were intercepted and boarded after communications were jammed, nearly 30 boats were still attempting to reach Gaza through the Mediterranean.
The raid sparked widespread global condemnation. Colombia expelled Israel’s diplomatic delegation after two of its citizens were detained, while protests broke out in Italy and Turkey. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that eight Malaysians were among those detained and denounced the interception as a violation of international law. Spain and Italy also urged Israel to safeguard their nationals’ wellbeing.
Footage shared online showed activists aboard the ships holding up their passports and declaring they had been abducted against their will. Human rights groups stressed that the flotilla was non-violent, aiming only to deliver humanitarian assistance.
The mission adds to a history of flotilla attempts challenging Israel’s blockade of Gaza, imposed in 2007. In 2010, Israeli forces killed nine activists in a similar raid, while in June 2024 Greta Thunberg was briefly detained with 11 others on a smaller aid boat headed for Gaza.
Israel’s latest action comes as its ongoing offensive in Gaza, launched in October 2023 following the Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has left the enclave devastated. Local health authorities report that more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.