ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday condemned Israel’s mistreatment of humanitarian activists who were detained in an Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla late last week, calling on the international community to ensure their safety and dignity.
Around 50 vessels under the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkiye last week in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Israeli authorities said 430 activists aboard the flotilla were en route to Israel, while the Adalah rights group said some had already arrived at Ashdod port and were being held there.
Israel’s far-right national security minister on Wednesday posted a video on X, showing detained activists from the Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground. Captioned “Welcome to Israel,” the footage showed Itamar Ben Gvir heckling and waving an Israeli flag among the detained activists, sparking international condemnation.
Pakistan’s foreign office said that Islamabad condemned in the “strongest possible terms” the unlawful interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla by Israeli occupying forces in the international waters as well as arbitrary detention and reported mistreatment of humanitarian workers, including Pakistani nationals, onboard.
“Pakistan demands the immediate release of all illegally detained activists. It also calls on the international community to ensure safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of those detained,” the foreign office said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains in close contact with Pakistani diplomatic missions in the region to ensure the safe return of any detained Pakistani nationals.”
Separately, Tahir Andrabi, a spokesman for the Pakistani foreign office, said Pakistan along with Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives and Spain was making diplomatic efforts at multilateral forums to secure the release of these activists.
“We are also making efforts, through our Jordan mission that is accredited to Palestine, for the release of Saad Edhi,” he said.
Edhi, grandson of late Pakistani philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi who founded the Edhi Foundation charity organization, joined the latest Global Sumud Flotilla last week and was detained in the Israeli raid, his father Faisal Edhi told Arab News on Monday.
Ben Gvir’s video of the detained activists also drew international uproar.
British foreign minister Yvette Cooper said she was “truly appalled” by the video, which “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity in the way people should be treated.” She added that London has “demanded an explanation from the Israeli authorities.”
France said it had summoned the Israeli ambassador over the “unacceptable actions” of Ben Gvir, while Madrid condemned the “monstrous” treatment of activists and said Israel’s charge d’affaires had also been summoned in protest.
Ireland’s Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said she was “appalled and shocked” by the video and demanded the immediate release of the activists, among whom is the sister of President Catherine Connolly.
Italy and Greece also individually slammed the treatment of the activists and called for their citizens’ immediate release, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni demanding an apology from Israel.
Turkiye’s foreign ministry said Ben Gvir had “once again openly demonstrated to the world the violent and barbaric mentality of the Netanyahu government.”
Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
During the Gaza war, the territory suffered severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies, with Israel at times halting aid deliveries entirely.
A previous flotilla attempt was intercepted last month in international waters off Greece, with most activists expelled to Europe. Two were brought to Israel, detained for several days and then deported.
Hamas, which controls less than half of Gaza and whose attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 sparked the war in the Palestinian territory, said the footage was evidence of Israeli leaders’ “moral depravity and sadism.”
Adalah also criticized Israeli authorities over the video.
“Israel is employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists seeking to confront Israel’s ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people,” the group, whose lawyers went to the detention center to meet the detainees, said in a statement.
