Global Sumud Flotilla Convoy Nearing Greek Waters
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (Bernama) -- The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) convoy has entered the fifth day of its second phase of sailing towards Gaza and is now nearing Greek waters, before entering the yellow zone located about 300 kilometers (km) from the Gaza Coast.
Tuan Asri Tuan Hussein, Media Director of Muslim Care Malaysia and a volunteer on the GSF convoy mission, said that as of 8.45 am local time (Mediterranean Sea), 38 flotilla boats were detected approaching the waters.
"After this, we will approach Greek Waters, which are International Waters but close to Greece. From there, we are nearing the Yellow Zone, which is 300 km from the Gaza Coast, while the Red Zone is 100 km from the Gaza Coast.
"This zone classification was set by the GSF itself to indicate locations where interceptions often occur, and most of them happen in both of these zones," he said when contacted by Bernama.
Tuan Asri said that upon entering the Yellow and Red Zones, all participants need to be more prepared for potential Internet disruptions and the threat of spy drones.
"Last night, I was on watch and managed to see two drones, believed to be observers or from Israel, around 10 or 11 pm. One was directly above my boat, moving towards the back, and another moved from the left side of my boat, heading from the back to the front," he said.
He said the Fair Lady boat he was on with activist and social media personality Nurfarahin Romli, better known as Farah Lee, was moving slowly while performing cleaning work before continuing its journey to the waters.
"The Mediterranean Sea is quite calm today; the waves are gentle, and there's no wind. So, as of this morning, we haven't been sailing much and are moving very slowly. We might be waiting for one of the ships to arrive.
"So, with the calm sea conditions, we're using the time to do cleaning work, repair any damage to the boats, and refuel from a larger boat while waiting for the next instructions or maybe waiting for stronger winds to start moving again," he added.
The GSF journey across the Mediterranean Sea, carrying food, medicine, and a message of peace, is scheduled to arrive in Gaza waters by the end of this month. It brings together an international coalition from Europe, Asia, South Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
It is hoped that the GSF peace journey can attract the attention of governments worldwide to pressure Israel to stop the genocide against Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to enter.
All Malaysian volunteers are under the banner of Sumud Nusantara, led by the Chief Executive Officer of Cinta Gaza Malaysia, Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri Kamaruzaman.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is the patron of Sumud Nusantara, which involves Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, the Philippines and Thailand.
Anwar, in a Facebook post on Monday, expressed heartfelt prayers of the entire community to accompany the GSF humanitarian mission.
He said he hoped the GSF's efforts would become a beacon of hope for the people of Gaza, who are being tested, and serve as a testament to the unity of universal human compassion.
-- BERNAMA
