https://arab.news/w3bhr
- Former senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan is part of six-member Pakistani delegation on flotilla
- Flotilla accuses Israel of launching two drone strikes on it this week as it seeks to break blockade
KARACHI: Pakistani politician Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan on Wednesday prepared to sail for Gaza aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) initiative, vowing to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory.
The flotilla, which arrived in Tunisia on Sunday and wants to reach Israel with food and vital supplies, has said its boats have since been subjected to attacks on two occasions this week. GSF reported the first attack on Tuesday, saying one of its vessels had been struck by a drone in Tunisian waters at the Sidi Bou Said port, reports Tunisian authorities said were false. It alleged Israel had carried out another attack on one of its boats on Wednesday.
Khan, affiliated with the Pakistani Jamaat-e-Islami religious party, arrived in Tunisia on Sept. 1 to set sail for Gaza. The former Pakistani senator said he is part of a six-member Pakistani delegation on the flotilla.
“We are at the port, boats have been assigned and after immigration we will set sail for Gaza in couple of hours,” Khan told Arab News on Wednesday night.
In a separate post on social media platform X, Khan said the delegation were carrying with them sleeping bags, half a kilogram of dates, three pairs of clothes and “the passion to go to Gaza.”
“Once they reach Gaza, they will stay there and break the siege, god willing,” he wrote.
The GSF comprises more than 50 boats and is supported by delegations from 44 countries. Famed Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua are also part of the initiative.
The flotilla seeks to provide essential items to Gaza, where Israel has killed over 64,000 people and injured 157,951 since Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The UN has warned that half a million Gazans face catastrophic hunger as Israel continues its bombardment of the densely populated territory.