KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged the United States to intervene immediately to secure the release of Malaysian citizens detained by Israeli forces after the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) bound for Gaza.
Anwar said he would be contacting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to demand urgent action, describing the arrests of international activists and the blockade of humanitarian aid as “a collapse of human values”.
“The cruelty of the Israeli regime must stop immediately,” he said in a video message posted on Facebook today.
The prime minister confirmed that he had spoken with the presidents of Türkiye and Egypt, as well as the prime minister of Qatar, seeking their support in pressing for the release of Malaysian activists.
“We are also in close contact with other partners, including the US Secretary of State, to demand intervention and immediate action without delay,” he added.
As of 3.30pm, the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) confirmed that 15 Malaysian humanitarian volunteers aboard the flotilla had been held after their vessel was intercepted in the Mediterranean.
Anwar stressed that Malaysia would not remain silent when the rights and dignity of its people were trampled.
“If compassion and humanitarian principles — to help the weak, the hungry, the sick, including women and children — are considered a crime, then our humanity is worthless,” he said.
The GSF, made up of more than 532 activists from 45 countries, set sail for Gaza in a bid to break the Israeli blockade and deliver aid to Palestinians.
Its high-profile participants include climate activist Greta Thunberg, Hollywood actors Susan Sarandon and Liam Cunningham, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, four Italian MPs, and Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela. — October 2, 2025