KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar has called for accountability over what she described as the illegal interception of the Freedom Flotilla and urged for a permanent end to the ongoing siege on Gaza.
In a statement today, she said while reports on the release of nine Malaysian humanitarian activists were a relief, it did not absolve the crimes committed by Israeli forces.
“Their detention is part of a systematic campaign of brutal aggression by Israeli forces in international waters, which stands among the most egregious violations of maritime law,” she said.
Nurul Izzah said the interception formed part of an escalating pattern of aggression, pointing to the illegal seizure of humanitarian vessels including the cargo ship Annie in June, which carried over 5,000 tonnes of life saving aid.
She added that the attacks continued in July with the violent seizure of the lead ship Handala, which had departed from Syracuse, Italy, carrying activists, medics, lawyers, journalists and humanitarian supplies.
“This crime leaves no doubt: we are witnessing a regime that operates with utter impunity, defying international courts, violating maritime law, and collectively punishing a civilian population,” she said.
Nurul Izzah said the assault was carried out in defiance of international legal institutions, including preliminary rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and findings by the United Nations on the plausibility of genocidal acts in Gaza.
“To attack a humanitarian flotilla in this context is to spit in the face of international law and the institutions designed to uphold it,” she said, adding that the act violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the principle of freedom of navigation.
She described the attack as piracy intrinsically linked to the ongoing and illegal blockade of Gaza, reiterating reports by Amnesty International and other rights groups that accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.
“The Flotilla’s mission was a direct challenge to this blockade, a blockade the ICJ has ordered must be lifted to allow aid to reach a population facing famine,” she said.
Nurul Izzah also condemned recent Israeli strikes that killed over 50 Palestinians just hours after a ceasefire announcement, saying this proved that the regime’s contempt for peace and international law continues unabated.
She praised the bravery of the Malaysian delegates, including Prof Emeritus Dr Mohd Alauddin Mohd Ali, Dr Fauziah Hassan, Dr Hafiz Sulaiman, Dr Ili Syakira Mohd Suhaimi, Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh and their colleagues, whose mission was coordinated by Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE).
Nurul Izzah said while Malaysia’s diplomatic efforts helped secure their release, global attention must now move beyond individual detentions to addressing the systemic injustices that sustain the siege on Gaza.
In total, about 150 volunteers from 25 countries took part in the mission, with MyCARE leading the Malaysian delegation
Eight Malaysians onboard the Conscience are Malaysian delegation chief Prof Emeritus Dr Mohd Alauddin, Dr Fauziah Mohd Hassan, Dr Hafiz Sulaiman, Dr Ili Syakira Mohd Suhaimi, Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh, Dr Noorhasyimah Ismail, Norsham Abu Bakar and Astro Awani journalist Syafik Shukri Abdul Jalil, while another medical doctor, Dr Maziah Muhammad was onboard the Umm Saad. — Bernama
Malay Mail – Malaysia
