ISTANBUL

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday urged for the immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza, state news agency Bernama reported.

Speaking on behalf of the prime minister, senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah said Anwar is closely monitoring the progress of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which includes 34 Malaysian activists, as they approached the Gaza Strip.

“The Prime Minister affirms that the government, along with all Malaysians, stands firmly in support of this humanitarian mission, in line with the principles of solidarity and justice,” Tunku told a press briefing.

Tunku said any hindrance to the flotilla would only worsen the suffering of Gaza's population, mentioning that the government is closely monitoring the safety of the Malaysian humanitarian activists.

“The courage and perseverance of our activists undertaking this critical mission are deeply appreciated, as it reflects the spirit of Malaysians who are always concerned about the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Gaza,” he added.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, an international initiative aimed at reaching the Gaza Strip to lift the Israeli siege and deliver humanitarian aid, is about 150 nautical miles away from the enclave and closing to a high-risk zone, according to a statement from the organization on Tuesday.

“Today, we are going to approach the 150 nautical mile zone, which is the zone after which Israel is known to start kidnapping people from boats,” Roos Ykema, an activist from the Netherlands, said in a video statement.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of about 50 ships with over 500 activists onboard, set sail earlier this month to break Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, to the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to a famine.