Israeli forces detain Saad Edhi, other volunteers after intercepting Global Sumud Flotilla
An Israeli naval boat intercepts the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza, in an attempt to deliver aid, at sea May 18, 2026, in this screengrab taken from a handout video. Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERS
Edhi Foundation Chairman Faisal Edhi alleged on Monday that Israeli forces had detained his son, Saad Edhi, along with other volunteers after intercepting the Global Sumud Flotilla as the mission was carrying aid, including medicine and food, for victims in Gaza.
In a message on Meta, Faisal said that around 1pm Pakistan Standard Time, Israeli forces intervened in the Gaza aid flotilla near Cyprus in international waters and arrested his son along with other volunteers.
“They were in international waters, and Israeli forces have no right to arrest them. We don't know where they have taken them,” he said.
Faisal appealed to the federal government and the Foreign Office to take legal action against the Israeli forces for detaining a Pakistani citizen.
“I urge FO to raise this issue with the UN and the international community regarding the detention of a Pakistani citizen,” he added.
He further said that the UN and the international community must stop the unlawful actions of the Israeli forces against civilians and work to end the genocide in Gaza, providing urgent assistance to the people there.
Forty-five years ago, Abdul Sattar Edhi himself was similarly arrested by the Israeli military in 1980 while travelling to Gaza with relief supplies to help Palestinians.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Faisal said that the aid workers were arrested near Greece in international waters, calling the act illegal. He added that the government should raise its voice against this action on international forums.
He further stated that there was still no information about Saad’s whereabouts or where the Israeli military has transferred the detained aid workers. However, it was expected that more information regarding Saad and the aid workers from other countries may emerge on Tuesday.
The organisers of a flotilla of aid vessels bound for Gaza said that Israeli forces had intercepted 28 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, while the remaining 26 ships were continuing to sail toward the enclave.
Earlier on Monday, Israel's foreign ministry had said on X that it "will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza".
Ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail for a third time on Thursday from southern Turkiye, after earlier attempts to deliver aid to Gaza were intercepted by Israel in international waters.
Live video showed military vessels approaching the vessels on Monday.
"Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and (Israeli) forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight," the Global Sumud Flotilla initially said on X.
"We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission."
RED ALERT!
Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and IOF forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight.
We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission. Governments must act now to stop these illegal acts or piracy meant to… pic.twitter.com/4RmPuswZNoThe group said there were 426 people taking part in the 54-vessel flotilla from 39 countries. It named 44 Turks among those on the intercepted vessels, some 463 kilometres from Gaza.
Israel's foreign ministry also called on "all participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately".
A Turkish activist on board the L'Arq vessel in the flotilla said he did not fear interception by Israeli forces but voiced concern for those already seized, adding the crew on his boat expected interception as soon as they got close to Gaza.
Read This: UN special rapporteur urges Mediterranean states to protect Global Sumud Flotilla
"We don't know where they are, we don't know how many of them were actually taken," Ahmet Soylemez said, speaking aboard the boat. A live tracker on the flotilla's website showed L'Arq was around 215 nautical miles from Gaza.
Turkey seeking safe return of nationals
Turkey's foreign ministry condemned the Israeli intervention as a "new act of piracy", adding that Ankara was taking the necessary steps to ensure the safe return of Turkish citizens on board the flotilla in coordination with other relevant countries.
"Israel must immediately cease its intervention and unconditionally release the flotilla participants being held," it said in a statement, calling on the international community to urgently adopt a "united and resolute" stance against Israel.
The previous flotilla departed from Spain on April 12. But Israeli forces intercepted vessels in that group, taking more than 100 pro-Palestinian activists to Crete and detaining two others in Israel.
Read More: Gaza flotilla organisers say 211 activists 'kidnapped', 22 vessels intercepted by Israel
Last October, Israel's military halted another flotilla assembled by the same organisation, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.
Palestinians and international aid bodies, along with Turkiye and several other countries, say supplies reaching Gaza are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October that included guarantees of increased aid.
Most of Gaza's more than two million people have been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings.
Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its residents. Its foreign ministry said more than 1.58 million metric tons of humanitarian aid and thousands of tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza since October 2025.