KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- Wisma Putra is closely monitoring the situation involving nine Malaysian volunteers from Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE), who were reportedly detained by Israeli authorities while on a humanitarian mission to Gaza today.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Malaysia is prepared to take necessary diplomatic action, including leveraging ties with countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Insya-Allah, Wisma Putra is following this matter closely and is ready to act through high-level diplomacy and by engaging countries that have diplomatic ties with Israel,” he told reporters after presenting letters of appointment to members of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Supervisory Council and Board of Governors at Wisma Bernama here.
Fahmi, who is the MADANI Government spokesperson, said the government is awaiting more detailed reports on the condition of the detained volunteers and expects clearer updates during tonight’s Himpunan Solidariti Bersama Gaza rally at Axiata Arena.
MyCARE, in a statement earlier, said that nine vessels involved in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) humanitarian mission to Gaza, including the Conscience and Umm Saad, which were carrying nine Malaysian activists, were intercepted by the Israeli forces at 10.50 am Malaysian time.
The FFC mission involves eight Malaysian activists aboard Conscience, which departed Porto Otranto, Italy, on Sept 30. The group is led by Mohd Alauddin and includes three doctors, Dr Fauziah Mohd Hassan, Dr Hafiz Sulaiman and Dr Ili Syakira Mohd Suhaimi.
Also on board are two lecturers, Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh and Dr Noorhasyimah Ismail, MyCARE Board of Trustees member Norsham Abu Bakar, and Astro Awani journalist Syafik Shukri Abdul Jalil.
Another Malaysian representative, Dr Maziah Muhammad, is on board Umm Saad, which departed from Catania, Sicily, on Sept 27, along with seven other Gaza-bound vessels.
The humanitarian peace mission is aimed at providing live coverage and delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, which remains under Israeli blockade.
In total, the mission involves about 150 participants from 25 countries, with MyCARE leading the Malaysian delegation.
-- BERNAMA
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