ISTANBUL

Malaysia on Wednesday "strongly" condemned Israel's attack on all vessels of the Freedom Flotilla, which were sailing to the Gaza Strip to provide humanitarian aid, while urging the release of Malaysian activists who were detained by Israel.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim condemned the "provocative action" and the violation of international law in a statement through the US social media company X.

The Israeli Navy attacked ships of the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)’s Thousand Madleens to Gaza early Wednesday in international waters, roughly 120 nautical miles from the enclave.

Detaining a humanitarian ship carrying aid for the people of Gaza is "inhumane" and violates the basic principles of human rights and universal human dignity, Anwar said, demanding Malaysian activists be released immediately, given adequate protection, and that they are not harmed during their detention.

The government will cooperate with other countries and international organizations to facilitate their release as soon as possible, he said.

The latest convoy set sail after Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats last week, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which were on the way to Gaza to challenge the Israeli blockade, and detained more than 450 activists on board. Most of them have been deported.

Israel, as the occupying power, has also previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported the activists on board.

It has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years and further tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable. Negotiations to end the war, according to a 20-point plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump, are underway in Egypt.