SERDANG: The Freedom Flotilla Coalition humanitarian mission sailing to Gaza is expected to enter the yellow zone on Tuesday.
Humanitarian Care Malaysia chief executive officer Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar said this would enable the nine-vessel mission to arrive in Gaza before this weekend.
He added that they are trying to avoid arriving on Friday or Saturday since those are off days in Israel and would make legal aid access difficult if the mission is blocked.
“So, they will try to reach Gaza before that,” he told a media conference at the MyCARE headquarters today.
He said the vessel Conscience is located about 250 nautical miles off the Gaza coast as of 2.20 am Malaysian time today.
Kamarul Zaman expects the flotilla to enter the yellow zone in less than 24 hours.
He added that the Conscience plans to slow down to wait for the other eight boats before sailing together towards the yellow zone.
Malaysia’s chief delegate Prof Emeritus Dr Mohd Alauddin Mohd Ali reported the presence of several drones above the vessel aimed at intimidating participants.
The Malaysian participants on board Conscience conducted a live stream with the Al-Awda hospital in Gaza.
Hospital authorities reported that their clinics are running short on medical supplies and equipment.
“They have had to use conventional methods to treat the patients, besides relying on their ingenuity and creativity to modify existing medical equipment,” he said.
Eight Malaysians are on board the vessel Conscience which departed from Porto Otranto, Italy, on September 30.
They include Mohd Alauddin, three doctors, two lecturers, a MyCARE trustee, and an Astro Awani journalist.
Another Malaysian representative Dr Maziah Muhammad is aboard the Umm Saad which left Catania, Sicily, on September 27.
In total, around 150 participants from 25 countries are part of this Freedom Flotilla Coalition mission.
MyCARE is leading the Malaysian delegation for this humanitarian effort. – Bernama