PARIS: Several French pro-Palestinian activists on Friday described a &ldquo;violent&rdquo; and &ldquo;dehumanizing&rdquo; ordeal after they were detained by Israeli forces on a <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/first-gaza-flotilla-activists-arrive-in-turkey-after-israel-deportation" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gaza-bound flotilla</a>. Eight French nationals arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris from Turkey on Friday afternoon, to supporters shouting &quot;Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people&quot;. Two of the 36 French people who were on board the flotilla were still in hospital in Turkey, the returnees told awaiting reporters. Holding a yellow rose and wearing a keffiyeh, Meriem Hadjal, 38, said she was detained on board one of the boats on Monday then transferred to Israel. &quot;They made us go one by one into a pitch-black container. I was groped,&quot; said Hadjal, an activist from the Waves of Freedom - France group. &quot;There were three soldiers in the container and a comrade on the ground with his trousers pulled down. &quot;One of them started touching my breasts. I then got huge deafening slaps to the head and the groping continued. &quot;I was terrified. I thought I was going to be raped at that moment,&quot; she added, claiming that a colleague was tortured with a stun weapon. At Ashdod, in southern Israel, &quot;we had to deal with <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/italy-france-uk-germany-urge-israel-to-end-settlement-expansion" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ben Gvir</a>&#39;s police who were extremely violent with us, humiliating, dehumanizing&quot;, said Hadjal, referring to Israel&#39;s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir. On Wednesday, Ben Gvir sparked an outcry internationally but also within his own government by publishing a video of dozens of activists kneeling with their foreheads on the ground and their hands tied. &#39;Terror&#39;&nbsp;Another activist, Adrien Bertel, described &quot;a gratuitous escalation of humiliation, rights violations and terror&quot;. Bertel, who took part in a previous attempt to break Israel&#39;s maritime blockade of the Palestinian territory, said that among the 430 people of different nationalities who were &quot;kidnapped&quot;, &quot;at least 37&quot; had broken bones. &quot;At least 16&quot; have reported sexual violence, he added. During his two days of detention on the boat, Bertel, who is in his thirties, also spoke of &quot;three soldiers in a container&quot;. &quot;Each of us stayed in there two or three minutes and they beat us up in the dark,&quot; he said. &quot;I had nail polish on. They immediately said &#39;gay&#39;, open homophobia. So that meant an extra layer of violence,&quot; he added. Yasmine Scola said they slept with their hands tied behind their backs for 36 hours and had to go to the bathroom with the handcuffs on. &quot;It&#39;s actually quite a significant form of torture,&quot; she said, adding that she saw injured people left untreated. She described women being subjected to humiliating &quot;parades&quot; where soldiers insulted or laughed at them. At the port, she said she and the others were put in a &quot;stress position&quot;, on their knees with their forehead on the ground for several hours, while the Israeli national anthem played on repeat. Asked by AFP to respond to the reports of physical and psychological violence, sexual harassment, assault, and rape, the Israeli prison service said the accusations were &quot;false and entirely without factual basis&quot;. &quot;All prisoners and detainees are held in accordance with the law, with respect for their fundamental rights under the supervision of professional and trained prison staff,&quot; a spokesperson said. Before leaving the airport, the activists said they had experienced &quot;a tiny part of what Palestinians endure, in silence&quot; and called for protests to demand that the French government &quot;take action&quot;.

Europe

French activists returning from a Gaza-bound flotilla said Israeli forces subjected them to violent and humiliating treatment during detention, including sexual abuse.

French activists describe ‘dehumanizing’ abuse by Israel after Gaza flotilla arrest

JERUSALEM: Israel said on Thursday it had deported all the foreign activists seized by its forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, as the first group arrived in Turkiye following global outcry over their treatment in custody. Hundreds of activists from countries around the world were placed in detention in Israel after they were intercepted at sea Monday while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory. Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists, among them 85 Turkish nationals, were flown from southern Israel on three planes chartered by Ankara. A first group of arrivals were seen inside the VIP terminal at Istanbul airport, as a crowd of supporters carrying Palestinian flags gathered to welcome them, an AFP correspondent said. Israeli forces &quot;attacked us. Each of us was beaten, women and men ... It&#39;s what Palestinians experience all the time,&quot; said Turkish national Bulal Kitay, after he got off the plane. Israel&#39;s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked widespread condemnation and a diplomatic backlash on Wednesday by posting a video showing the detained activists with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground. Israel&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman, Oren Marmorstein, said Thursday that &quot;all foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel. &quot;Israel will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza,&quot; he added. Upon arrival at Istanbul airport, one of the activists shouted &quot;the Palestinian people are not alone!&quot; as he emerged from the terminal. &quot;We&#39;ve been tortured, we&#39;ve been beaten, we&#39;ve been arrested in international waters, but we won&#39;t give up. We will return. Palestine will be free from the river to the sea,&quot; he said to cheers from the crowd. The legal center representing the flotilla members said earlier on Thursday that the majority were &quot;en route for deportation&quot; from Ramon Airport in Israel&#39;s far south. Adalah said they had been held at Israel&#39;s Ktziot prison, in the Negev Desert near Gaza. A spokesman for Adalah said activists from Egypt had been transferred to Taba at Egypt&#39;s border with Israel, while those from Jordan had been transferred to Aqaba. Edhi arrives in Islamabad after released by Israel: foreign minister&nbsp;Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, announced in &nbsp;a post on X that Saad Edhi, who was aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, was released after being illegally detained by Israeli occupation forces.&nbsp; &ldquo;He along with other detained humanitarian workers have safely arrived in Istanbul,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; FM Dar conveyed his gratitude to T&uuml;rkiye for ensuring his safe return to Istanbul.&nbsp; &ldquo;The detention of humanitarian workers, and their inhumane treatment by the occupying forces is deeply condemnable and totally unacceptable,&rdquo; he said. &#39;Inflammatory video&#39;&nbsp;Around 50 vessels under the Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkiye last week in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel&#39;s blockade of Gaza, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy last month. The deportations come after footage posted by Ben Gvir, captioned &quot;Welcome to Israel&quot; and showing the minister heckling and waving an Israeli flag among the detained activists, sparked resounding condemnation by governments around the world, from Italy to Spain and Australia to Canada. He was also criticized at home by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, as well as by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Italy and Spain have called on the European Union to sanction Ben Gvir, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling the treatment of the activists &quot;unacceptable.&quot; In Ireland, a leaked letter revealed Prime Minister Micheal Martin urging the EU chief for &quot;further action&quot; against Israel over their treatment, including a ban on settlement goods and suspension &quot;of parts if not all&quot; of the EU&#39;s Association Agreement with Israel. The United Kingdom announced it had summoned Israel&#39;s most senior diplomat in Britain following &quot;the inflammatory video.&quot; &#39;They kicked us&#39;&nbsp;Adalah&#39;s legal director, Suhad Bishara, told AFP on Wednesday that the group&#39;s lawyers had given legal counsel to &quot;many&quot; of the activists, though she added others had faced court hearings without legal assistance. &quot;We know of at least two participants who were hospitalized ... both of them were shot by rubber bullets,&quot; Bishara said, adding that others said they feared they had broken ribs. Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian journalist detained with the flotilla activists and deported before the others, told reporters in Italy on Thursday that he and others were &quot;taken to Ben Gurion airport in handcuffs and with chains on our feet and put on a flight to Athens.&quot; &quot;They beat us up. They kicked us and punched us and shouted &#39;Welcome to Israel,&#39;&quot; he said of his treatment by Israeli security forces. Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, under blockade since 2007. Since the start of the Gaza war, the territory has suffered severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies, with Israel at times halting aid deliveries entirely.

Middle East

Turkish foreign ministry sources say 422 activists, among them 85 Turkish nationals, were flown from southern Israel on three planes chartered by Ankara.

First Gaza flotilla activists arrive in Turkiye after Israel deportation

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has joined ten other countries in strongly condemning Israel&rsquo;s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, calling the operation a violation of international law and demanding the immediate release of detained activists. In a joint statement issued early Friday, the foreign ministers of T&uuml;rkiye, Brazil, Jordan, Pakistan, Spain, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Colombia, Maldives, South Africa, and Libya denounced Israeli &ldquo;assaults&rdquo; on the Gaza-bound aid convoy. The flotilla, carrying humanitarian supplies and international activists, was attempting to challenge Israel&rsquo;s blockade on Gaza when it was intercepted in international waters earlier this week, according to organizers. The incident has intensified international criticism of Israel&rsquo;s military operations in Gaza and restrictions on humanitarian access to the enclave. The joint statement described the flotilla as &ldquo;a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing the attention of the international community to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.&rdquo; It said Israel&rsquo;s actions against the vessels and the detention of activists &ldquo;constitute flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law.&rdquo; The ministers also voiced concern over the safety of those detained, urging Israeli authorities to ensure their &ldquo;immediate release.&rdquo; &ldquo;The Ministers are deeply concerned about the safety of the civilian activists,&rdquo; the statement said, calling on the wider international community to uphold international law, protect civilians and ensure accountability. Separately, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also condemned the &quot;illegal interception&quot; and the &quot;unlawful detention of activists onboard&quot; the flotilla, terming it a &quot;flagrant violation of international law and deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid.&quot; &quot;International community must step in to end repeated violations of international law by Israel, lift the blockade of Gaza, and ensure immediate release of all humanitarian workers and activists onboard the flotilla,&quot; FM Dar said. The diplomatic intervention follows growing alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where aid access remains severely restricted amid the ongoing war. The flotilla mission had sought to deliver humanitarian supplies and draw attention to conditions inside the besieged Palestinian territory. Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel and has consistently supported Palestinian statehood, has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and unrestricted humanitarian access to civilians affected by the conflict.

The incident has intensified international criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and restrictions on humanitarian access to the enclave; joint statement describes flotilla as “a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing the attention of the international community to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”





Pakistan joins 10 nations condemning Israel’s Global Sumud flotilla raid

Ibrahim Babakhel

ISLAMABAD: The family and associates of former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan have no information about his condition or whereabouts, his aide said Thursday, after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters, raising fears over whether he is alive, in custody, or among activists reportedly thrown into the sea during the &ldquo;illegal raid.&rdquo;&nbsp;Khan was among 211 activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a 58-vessel humanitarian convoy attempting to challenge Israel&rsquo;s blockade on Gaza, according to organizers.&nbsp;The flotilla says it was intercepted by Israeli naval forces near the Greek island of Crete early Thursday.&nbsp;The incident comes as Israel&rsquo;s war on Gaza continues to draw international scrutiny over the humanitarian toll and restrictions on aid entering the besieged enclave.&nbsp;Activist flotillas have increasingly emerged as symbolic attempts to challenge the blockade and deliver relief supplies directly to Gaza.&nbsp;&ldquo;The flotilla was peacefully sailing in international waters when multiple vessels&rsquo; radio communications were suddenly jammed,&rdquo; the flotilla&rsquo;s ground team said in a statement, describing the boarding as an &ldquo;illegal raid.&rdquo;&nbsp;Organizers said at least 22 vessels were stormed by Israeli forces.&nbsp;&ldquo;Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as &lsquo;Israel,&rsquo; pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons, ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;Khan&rsquo;s spokesperson, Daniyal Abdullah, said communication with the former senator was lost during the operation.&nbsp;&ldquo;As of now, we are not sure about the whereabouts of the former senator,&rdquo; Abdullah told Pakistan TV Digital.&nbsp;He said flotilla organizers confirmed that Khan was aboard the vessel Marea, which was intercepted by Israeli forces, but no further information was available.&nbsp;&ldquo;Before the navy boarded the ships, there were multiple drone attacks. That was the last time I heard from him,&rdquo; Abdullah said.&nbsp;Abdullah added that organizers had informed him some activists were allegedly forced overboard during the raid.&nbsp;&ldquo;I have no information whether the former senator was also thrown into the water or not,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The flotilla also alleged that one of its vessels was set on fire during the interception.&nbsp;Khan had previously joined a similar Gaza flotilla last year and was detained by Israeli authorities before being deported.&nbsp;Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel, has repeatedly called for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza and supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.&nbsp;According to human rights groups, despite the 2025 ceasefire, Israel has committed over 2,400 documented violations, resulting in 766 fatalities and 2,147 injuries in just five months.

Former Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan is among 211 activists detained after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters near Crete.

Pakistan ex-senator’s whereabouts unknown after Israeli flotilla ‘raid,’ aide says

JERUSALEM:&nbsp;<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">Gaza flotilla organizers say 211 activists &#39;kidnapped&#39; by Israel&nbsp;reported on Thursday.&nbsp; Earlier, Israel&#39;s foreign ministry said on Thursday, that Israeli forces had arrested about 175 activists aboard 20 ships from an aid-laden flotilla bound for Gaza. &quot;Approximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats are now making their way peacefully to Israel,&quot; the ministry said in a statement, including a video of the activists aboard an Israeli navy ship.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"> </div>Meanwhile, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur, in her reaction posted on X, that the reported action amounted to an alarming extension of Israeli enforcement beyond its recognized jurisdiction.&nbsp;</div> In her post, she described the episode as evidence of what she characterized as &ldquo;apartheid without borders,&rdquo; warning that such incidents should &ldquo;send shock waves across Europe.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2049729807038996657&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F4092%2F&sessionId=16b0b7e09c183bfef549ae29ecdbc84b983d7faf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 538px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Israel controls all entry points to Gaza, and has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of strangling the flow of goods into the territory, causing shortages since the start of the war in Oct. 2023. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye released a statement on X, that Israel has violated humanitarian principles and international law by targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla who was purposed to draw attention to the humanitarian catastrophe faced by the innocent people of Gaza.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2049717794925617591&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=90b40ae75d27f633c09d9b376c6760e6d4d01f57&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 777px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

175 activists aboard 20 ships from an aid-laden flotilla bound for Gaza (File Photo: BSS)

Israeli forces reportedly intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and detained about 175 activists from more than 20 ships, as Israel maintains a blockade that has drawn criticism over restricted humanitarian access to Gaza.

Gaza flotilla organizers say 211 activists 'kidnapped' by Israel

ATHENS: The organizers of a flotilla carrying pro-Palestinian activists aiming to break through an Israeli blockade in Gaza said Thursday their boats were surrounded by Israeli &quot;military boats.&quot; The flotilla, made up of more than 50 boats, set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain, and Syracuse in Italy. In a post to X overnight, the Global Sumud Flotilla said that Israeli military boats had &quot;illegally surrounded the flotilla in international waters and threatened kidnapping and violence&quot;. &quot;Communications with 11 vessels have been lost,&quot; the organization added. The flotilla is currently off the coast of Greece, near Crete, according to the organisation&#39;s live tracking on its website. &quot;Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as &#39;Israel&#39;, pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons, ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees,&quot; the organisation added. &quot;Boat communications are being jammed, and a SOS was issued.&quot; In late 2025, an initial flotilla of about 50 boats, composed of political figures and activists such as Sweden&#39;s Greta Thunberg, was boarded by the Israeli navy &mdash; illegally, according to the organisers and Amnesty International. The crew members were arrested and expelled by Israel. The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement accuse each other of violating a ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, 2025, after two years of war.

The organizers of a flotilla carrying pro-Palestinian activists aiming to break through an Israeli blockade in Gaza said Thursday their boats were surrounded by Israeli "military boats".

Gaza flotilla organizers say surrounded by Israeli 'military boats'

MARSEILLE: Some 20 French boats set sail from Marseille on Saturday to join up with an international flotilla making a renewed effort to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, AFP reporters saw. &quot;Gaza, Marseille is with you&quot; shouted around a thousand people who had come to the docks to support the initiative. The ships, mostly sailboats, set off to a round of applause and songs shortly after 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) to join the &quot;Global Sumud Flotilla&quot;, named after a Gazan fisherman. The international flotilla of some 100 boats, mostly setting sail from Barcelona on April 12, will head towards Gaza around April 20, according to the organisers. A week-long stopover is planned in southern Italy for &quot;non-violence training.&quot; &quot;The goal is to give Palestine more visibility. We&#39;re not talking about it much right now, because of the international context,&quot; said Manon, a crew member who declined to give her full name. In late 2025, an initial flotilla of about 50 boats, composed of political figures and activists such as Sweden&#39;s Greta Thunberg, was boarded by the Israeli navy -- illegally according to the organisers and Amnesty International. The crew members were arrested and expelled by Israel. The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement accuse each other of violating a ceasefire that came into effect on October 10, 2025, after two years of war.

Some 20 French boats set sail from Marseille to join up with an international flotilla making a renewed effort to break an Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Gaza, AFP reporters saw.

French boats set sail to join Gaza aid flotilla

MADRID: Israel has released the five remaining Spanish detainees from flotillas it blocked while they were carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists to devastated Gaza, sources at Spain&#39;s foreign ministry said on Sunday. Israel has this month intercepted in international waters two flotillas aiming to break its blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations has declared a famine after two years of brutal conflict. Israel arrested the crews, with Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg among the dozens of activists of various nationalities, sparking huge protests in Europe. Israel has been releasing them over recent days, with Spanish foreign ministry sources saying: &quot;The last five members of the flotilla held by Israel are now on their way to Spain.&quot; Among them is a member of the first flotilla who was not included in a first wave of releases after allegedly biting an Israeli prison officer. &quot;There are no more Spaniards from the flotilla detained in Israel,&quot; the ministry sources added. Almost 50 other Spanish flotilla members had returned home during the past week. The activists have complained of mistreatment during their detention in Israel. Israeli authorities have denied the allegations.

Pro-Palestinian supporters wave flags as they wait for the arrival of South African activists at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park

Israel released the last five detained Spanish flotilla members aiming to break Gaza’s blockade, ending Spain’s detentions amid protests and claims of mistreatment.

Spain says Israel frees its last Gaza flotilla members

ANKARA: Turkish officials on Wednesday called for release of three lawmakers detained after Israeli forces intercepted their boats heading for Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said all nine of its boats were intercepted by the Israeli army as they attempted to approach Gaza to challenge a naval blockade. T&uuml;rkiye&#39;s foreign ministry slammed the interception as an &quot;act of piracy&quot;, describing it as &quot;an attack on civil activists, including Turkish citizens and members of parliament&quot;. &quot;This is a serious violation of international law. Our three MPs and all activists illegally detained must be released immediately and unconditionally,&quot; Sena Nur Celik Kanat, a lawmaker from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s ruling AKP party, told AFP. Celik Kanat was among more than 80 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe who signed a letter calling for the activists&#39; release. The pro-Palestinian activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the boats were carrying &quot;vital aid worth over $110,000 USD in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies that were destined for Gaza&#39;s starving hospitals&quot;. Israel has in recent months blocked several international aid flotillas from reaching Gaza, where the UN says famine has set in after two years of devastating conflict.

Türkiye condemned Israel’s interception of aid flotillas bound for Gaza as “piracy” and demanded the release of three detained Turkish lawmakers and other activists carrying $110,000 worth of medical and nutritional supplies for Gaza’s hospitals

Türkiye urges Israel to release detained lawmakers

Syed Muhammad Zaid

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmad, who was recently detained by Israeli forces while participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, will return to Pakistan on October 9, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said. Dar confirmed the release of Mushtaq, expressing his admiration for the senator&rsquo;s courage, and said he was in &ldquo;high spirits&rdquo; after enduring severe treatment during his captivity. He praised Mushtaq&rsquo;s determination and steadfast support for Palestinian humanitarian efforts through the Sumud Flotilla. The foreign minister revealed that Mushtaq, who had been held in Israeli custody, was currently with the Pakistan Embassy in Amman, Jordan, and would return to Pakistan on October 9. &quot;Senator Mushtaq is fine and in high spirits,&quot; Dar said in a statement posted on social media platform X.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1975601673876762825&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8712a1c1ac00454a2bed83e5c2d7c98382c90e6c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Mushtaq had been among hundreds of activists detained when Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a mission designed to deliver aid to Gaza amidst its ongoing humanitarian crisis. The flotilla, which included notable figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg, was targeted by Israeli forces on the high seas. According to Reuters, Israel expelled 171 activists on Monday, bringing the total number of deported individuals to 341. In a personal account posted on social media, Mushtaq described the harrowing conditions he and other detainees endured. &ldquo;Our hands were handcuffed behind our backs, our feet shackled and chained,&rdquo; he said, recalling the brutal treatment. &ldquo;Our eyes were blindfolded as dogs were set upon us and guns aimed at our bodies. We were subjected to severe and relentless torture.&rdquo; The former senator further revealed that the detained activists launched a hunger strike to protest their treatment and demand better conditions. &quot;In protest, we launched a three-day hunger strike to press for our demands,&rdquo; Mushtaq added. Despite the mistreatment, Mushtaq and other activists stood firm in their cause. He expressed gratitude to the Pakistan Foreign Office for coordinating through a friendly European country&#39;s mission in Tel Aviv, &nbsp;given that Islamabad does not recognize Israel, and appreciated the embassy in Amman for ensuring his safety and support during his stay. Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg, also detained during the flotilla&rsquo;s interception, arrived in Athens on Monday, expressing solidarity with those still imprisoned. In a video posted on Instagram, she emphasized that while some detainees had been released, others remain in custody, stressing the need for their immediate freedom. As Mushtaq prepares to return to Pakistan, his experience serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by those who stand in solidarity with Palestine, despite the risks and hardships they face.

Foreign Affairs

Former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad was detained by Israeli forces while aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian mission attempting to break the Gaza blockade and deliver aid in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Articles tagged with "Gaza Flotilla"