Joint statement calls aggression a flagrant violation of international law, demands release of activists
Police officers stand guard outside the main gate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. Photo: File
The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives and Spain on Tuesday condemned “in the strongest terms” the “new Israeli attacks on the Global Sumud flotilla”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement.
Calling the flotilla a “peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing attention to the catastrophic humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people,” the Foreign Ministry said the ministers “recall with grave concern Israeli interventions against previous flotillas in international waters.”
The ministers condemned “the continuation of hostile acts targeting civilian ships and humanitarian activists”, adding that “such aggressions, including attacks on ships and arbitrary detention of activists, constitute flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”
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Joint statement by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Maldives and Spain regarding Israeli assaults on the global Sumud flotilla, May 18, 2026 pic.twitter.com/TS99F2w31n
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 19, 2026
According to the Foreign Ministry, the ministers expressed serious concerns about the safety and security of civilian participants in the flotilla, calling for the immediate release of all detained activists and “full respect for their rights and dignity.”
Additionally, the Foreign Office said ministers stressed that repeated attacks on peaceful humanitarian initiatives “reflect continued disregard for international law and freedom of navigation.”
The foreign ministers called on the international community “to assume its legal and moral responsibilities, to ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian missions, and to take concrete measures to end impunity and ensure that those responsible for these violations are held accountable.”
Read: UN special rapporteur urges Mediterranean states to protect global Sumud flotilla
On Monday, organizers said Israeli forces had intercepted 39 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, while the remaining ships continued to sail toward the enclave.
Ships from the global Sumud flotilla set sail for the third time on Thursday from southern Turkey, after earlier attempts to deliver aid to Gaza were intercepted by Israel in international waters.
There were 426 people participating in the flotilla of 54 ships from 39 countries, with Sumud’s global flotilla naming 44 Turks among those on board the intercepted vessel, some 250 nautical miles (463 km) from Gaza.
The Israeli army arrested aid workers who were part of the flotilla carrying relief supplies for the people of Gaza. The arrested people belong to different countries. Among the detainees is Saad Edhi, the grandson of Abdul Sattar Edhi, who represented Pakistan and was heading to Gaza with his team.
