Faisal, Sameera, and other flotilla activists from Asia arrested by Israel
Asian members from Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka are part of the global humanitarian expedition. The son of Faisal Edhi, a leading figure in Pakistan’s humanitarian community, is among the people detained. As his fate remains unknown, his father has appealed to Pakistani authorities to obtain his release. For Asian activists, theirs is not just a "symbolic" participation.
Lahore (AsiaNews) – Activists from Asian countries like Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka represent a significant contingent on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was recently intercepted by Israeli navy vessels in international waters off the coast of Cyprus, as they attempted to breach the blockade of Gaza to deliver aid.
According to the latest information, those arrested include Saad Edhi, son of Faisal Edhi (a prominent figure in Pakistan’s humanitarian community), along with hundreds of other volunteers from around the world.
Saad Edhi’s detention has raised concern in Pakistan and among international human rights groups, with many calling for immediate diplomatic intervention and clarification on the whereabouts of the detainees, whose fate remains unknown.
No official confirmation or public announcement has come from Israel regarding the exact location of Saad Edhi and the other detained volunteers.
Pakistani officials have not yet released a statement on possible diplomatic steps, although public pressure has continued to grow calling for immediate government action.
Before the flotilla was intercepted, Saad Edhi posted a video message made on aboard one of its vessels in which he identified himself as a Pakistani national participating in a peaceful humanitarian mission. "If you're watching this video," he can be seen as saying, "it means we have been intercepted."
The activist stated that the flotilla intended to provide aid through nonviolent means and highlight what he described as decades of suffering faced by Palestinians in Gaza.
He also appealed to the Pakistani government to undertake diplomatic efforts for his release if Israeli forces interrupted the mission, like in the past.
This is not the first rescue mission to be blocked and the activists on board arrested. Last year, another mission, which also included Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg and hundreds of other participants (including from Asia), was blocked and its members arrested.
A former Pakistani senator, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, was among those arrested in the latest incident; he was later released and expelled to Turkey.
Sources at the Edhi Foundation report that the flotilla left Marmaris, Turkey, with medicine, food supplies, and humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip, a mission that involved more than 500 volunteers from nearly 40 countries, travelling on scores of boats to the besieged Palestinian territory.
Evidence gathered by the foundation reports that Israeli naval vessels intercepted at least 10 boats in the eastern Mediterranean, likely near the coast of Cyprus and in international waters.
Following the encounter, communication with many participants was reportedly interrupted, while the Israeli military confiscated the volunteers' phones and communication devices.
Faisal Edhi, head of the Edhi Foundation and one of Pakistan's best-known humanitarian figures, confirmed his son's detention in a video statement released online yesterday.
In the message, he says that Israeli forces had arrested Saad and hundreds of other volunteers while in international waters; he strongly criticised the Israeli operation, which he deemed “illegal” and “inhumane”.
At the same time, he called on the Pakistani government and the United Nations to immediately raise the issue in international forums and in the press, with the aim of securing the release of the detained volunteers.
“We still do not know where they have been taken,” Faisal Edhi said. “Their phones have also been taken away and there is no communication.”
Finally, he confirmed that the flotilla was carrying only humanitarian supplies, including food and medicine, for Palestinians living under the blockade and war-torn conditions in Gaza.
This latest event refocused attention on the Edhi family and their humanitarian work. Faisal Edhi noted that his father, the late Abdul Sattar Edhi, was also arrested by Israeli forces in 1980 while attempting to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Founded by Abdul Sattar, the Edhi Foundation is considered one of the world's largest charities and is widely respected for its ambulance, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance services both at home and internationally.
In addition to Pakistan, activists and volunteers from other Asian nations such as India and Sri Lanka are aboard the flotilla’s vessels.
Sri Lankan Sameera Mehboobdeen travelled to Turkey to join the Global Sumud Flotilla - Spring Mission for Gaza 2026, an international effort to lift the siege on Gaza. A young mother, a medical professional, a certified medic, she left home with the goal of helping train activists in first aid.
Last month, on the eve of her departure, AsiaNews gathered the blessings and prayers of the Movement of Christian Women's Voice, which strongly backed the work of their compatriot and the entire Global Sumud Flotilla.
In particular, Mehboobdeen's participation was highlighted in a press briefing held on 20 April at the Palestinian Embassy in Sri Lanka, organised by the "Free Palestine" movement of Sri Lanka.
On this occasion, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu religious leaders, through their prayers, invoked strength, good health, blessings, and protection for Sameera and all the participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Back in Sri Lanka, the flotilla is seen as a symbol of international solidarity, with volunteers risking their safety to defy restrictions and provide aid.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Melani Gunatilake, human rights advocate, climate activist, and friend of Sameera, explained: “This is not just a symbolic participation. It is a time when men who are crazy for power, unable to understand the extent of their power, are playing with the lives of people all over the world,” she said.
“Sameera,” she added, “represents the voice of the people against this crazy power. Sameera represents the voice of the youth and women who are rising up against the power wielded with madness.”
Nikita Naidu, the first Indian activist to take part in initiatives linked to the Sumud Flotilla, is involved in the overland convoy, also aimed at delivering aid through the Rafah crossing in Egypt.
Her position stands in stark contrast to that of the Indian government, an ally of Israel, partly due to the personal relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart, Binyamin Netanyahu. So far, the Indian government has remained silent in the face of the suffering of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The Indian environmentalist joined the overland convoy of the Global Sumud Flotilla in Tripoli, Libya, on 7 May. The convoy left Mauritania earlier this month, driving through Algeria and Tunisia. Its next stops are Egypt and finally the Rafah border crossing, where it will deliver supplies directly to the people of Gaza in coordination with the Red Crescent.
(Melani Manel Perera contributed to this article)
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