Despite almost two years of what has now been dubbed a “genocide” in the Gaza Strip, Israel continues to bomb, starve and torture more than a million Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
After blocking aid from entering Gaza, Israel established the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in collaboration with the United States, which set up food distribution sites, luring starving civilians and then allowing them to be shot by Israeli forces. The GHF sites have been slammed by humanitarian organisations as ‘killing fields’.
Attempting to break the blockade and put pressure on Israel to end its onslaught is a fleet of boats with participants from over 44 countries, including Pakistan. The movement, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), will embark on its journey to Gaza in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 7.
The GSF is made up of four coalitions: the Sumud Nausantara, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Global March to Gaza.
A five-member Pakistan delegation led by former Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan will set sail from Tunisia aboard the Sumud Nausantara, which also includes participants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Maldives and the Philippines.
“This is not just a sea journey, it’s not an adventure, but rather it is a task that is extremely dangerous,” former senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said while speaking to Dawn.com.
“There are three things we are trying to achieve through this humanitarian mission to Gaza: To end the genocide, to establish a humanitarian corridor and to end the blockade and siege.”
Stressing the legality of this mission, Khan detailed that after the ships leave Tunisian waters, they will sail to Gaza through international waters.
“When governments have failed, international rights bodies such as the UN have failed, world order has failed, the people have risen and taken it upon themselves to transport aid to Gaza,” he said.
On the training given to participants, the former senator said that the volunteers have been instructed on how to behave during the journey, to remain peaceful, what to do in case of an emergency or an attack by Israeli forces and what role each individual has on board.
“Given that this is a very dangerous undertaking, we received two days of training,” he explained.
“We were taught about the salient features of a nonviolent movement, as well as how to maintain discipline on the boat and what to do in the event of an emergency — be it interception or attack.”
Dawn.com was told that before boarding, every member of the flotilla has to record an ‘SOS’ video, which is to be uploaded to social media in the event of their detention by Israeli forces.
Former senator Mushtaq also mentioned some of the aid the delegation will be carrying, including “baby formula for the infants that are starving to death … food and water for the malnourished civilians in Gaza … [and] medicine for them”.
The flotilla, departing from North Africa, is in touch with the vessels that departed Spain earlier this week, according to the senator.
Some of the participants in the journey are notable rights activists, such as Nelson Mandela’s grandson Nkosi Zwelivelile and Greta Thunberg. Lawyers and journalists are also in the mix of volunteers.
The flotillas were originally supposed to head to Gaza on September 5; however, weather conditions forced the boats sailing from Barcelona to divert to Menorca.
“Unfortunately, they ran into a storm, so they might be delayed in getting to Tunis. They should arrive in Tunis by September 5 and need to refuel and perform any necessary repairs, but we expect to collectively leave on September 6.”
Since the conversation with the former senator, the departure date for the vessels has changed once again and they are now expected to head to Gaza on September 7. The ex-senator also confirmed this in a voice note sent to Dawn.com.
Meanwhile, a new development has emerged. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has branded the Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers as “terrorists” and threatened to seize their boats should they head to Gaza.
The coalition, in a statement posted to X on Thursday, slammed the Israeli minister and urged the UN and world governments to take note and guarantee safe passage to the besieged enclave.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla strongly condemns threats by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in an attempt to intimidate our participants and falsely brand them as ‘terrorists’. Such threats are not only baseless and unjust but constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.”
When asked about what they will do if Israeli forces intercept and board their flotilla, the former senator asserted that the participants will remain ‘non-violent’.
“We are not an army or a military force; we are civilians looking to confront and break the siege. In case the Israeli forces attack, we have been told to embody peaceful resistance, stand against oppression and break the blockade peacefully. To put our lives in danger while establishing a humanitarian corridor.”
In earlier comments made to Dawn.com, Khan had highlighted three possible outcomes of the journey to Gaza.
“There are three options. One is that we reach Gaza successfully and are able to break the blockade and show the world what is taking place there,” Khan said. “Another possibility is that they (Israel) could arrest and deport us. The third is that we are attacked by Israel and killed.“
As has been witnessed in the Freedom Flotilla’s previous attempts, the journey to reach Gaza’s shores is far from easy. Those aboard the Handala and then later the Madleen were detained and deported after Israel intercepted the vessels.
Obstacles did show for the Pakistan delegation in the path to answer the GSF’s humanitarian call, as procuring visas proved difficult for Khan’s delegation.
In social media posts, the former senator had appealed to authorities to facilitate visas for his delegation. Fortunately, the four other members were able to receive their visas on time and arrived in Tunis on Thursday.
The senator, who clarified that, as a lawmaker, he has a special passport and does not require a visa, added that the Pakistani government offered no assistance.
“The Pakistani government has not provided any aid to us,” Khan noted. “[Malaysian Prime Minister] Anwar Ibrahim is patronising the Sumud Nausantara, which we are a part of.
“If Anwar Ibrahim can do this, why can’t the Pakistani government?” the ex-senator asked.
Khan noted that he entered an agreement with the government six months ago, under which Islamabad would send an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip. The agreement was reached after a Palestinian solidarity sit-in ended with force at the hands of the authorities.
“[Interior minister] Mohsin Naqvi said this on record,” Khan recalled. “One of the conditions of ending my sit-in was sending the flotilla.
“I said that if funding is difficult, then I will pay for it out of my own pocket. I will sail on it with my family. But give me state ownership. The government did not fulfil even one part of the agreement.”
When asked, the ex-senator said that he is paying to board the ship and perform the journey.
“People travelling on the Global Sumud Flotilla have to pay beforehand, including travel expenses and the cost of the boat,” he stated. “I am paying for my work here.
“We made a payment for the aid supplies, but those are provided by the GSF central body.”
Reiterating the three possible outcomes mentioned earlier, the former senator who is acting as a coordinator aboard the flotilla said that he and his delegation are prepared, come what may.
Header image: Activists from 44 countries, including Pakistan, depart on the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian expedition to Gaza, from the port of Barcelona, Spain on August 31, 2025. Reuters/File
