​​​​​​​ISTANBUL 

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Tuesday that his government will be directly involved in the next Sumud mission to the Gaza Strip.

The government "will be directly involved" in the Global Sumud Flotilla 2.0 humanitarian mission, which will involve more than 80 countries, he said on the US social media platform Facebook.

The remarks came during Anwar's meeting with Sumud Nusantara Command Center Director-General Sani Araby and Sumud Nusantara founder Nadir Al-Nuri.

"We will mobilize all efforts to help and defend the rights of the Palestinian people. Justice can no longer be delayed, for the sake of a dignified and independent Palestine," he said.

The "direct participation" in the mission is a "continuation of the international moral struggle which demands courage to uphold justice and humanitarian rights, regardless of borders, race or religion," he said.

Israel previously attacked several Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo, and deported the activists on board.

In October, Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats that were part of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla.

Tel Aviv detained more than 450 activists who were on board. Many told hair-raising stories of abuse at the hands of their Israeli captors.

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

The Israeli genocide in Gaza began Oct. 8, 2023, and lasted for two years until a ceasefire agreement took effect last October.

The ceasefire halted the two-year war that killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.