Saad Edhi, son of renowned social worker Faisal Edhi, was reportedly detained by Israeli forces on Monday along with other members of the Global Sumud Flotilla after at least 10 boats were intercepted in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Organisers of the flotilla said Israeli forces intercepted 10 vessels and that contact had been lost with a total of 23 boats in the eastern Mediterranean.
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X that it “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza”.
In a video shared on Edhi’s official Facebook account, Faisal Edhi said that around 1pm the Gaza aid flotilla was intercepted near Cyprus by Israeli forces and its members, including Saad Edhi, had been arrested.
He also urged Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take immediate action following his son’s detention.
“They were arrested in international waters and Israeli forces have no right to do so. Israel has arrested them illegally and their whereabouts are unknown,” he said.
He added that Saad Edhi, a Pakistani citizen, was part of the Gaza Sumud Flotilla aimed at delivering humanitarian assistance to war-affected people in Gaza, alongside around 500 participants from different countries carrying food and medical supplies.
“Now they have been arrested, we do not know anything about their whereabouts,” he said, adding that their mobile phones had also been confiscated.
“I appeal to Pakistan’s foreign ministry to take action, as a Pakistani citizen has been arrested by Israeli forces,” Faisal Edhi said.
He further urged the ministry to engage with the United Nations and the international community against what he described as “illegal and inhuman conduct” and called for an end to the “genocide in Gaza”.
Earlier, Saad Edhi had issued a video statement from the Gaza Sumud Flotilla.
“I am Saad Edhi, a Pakistani citizen. If you are watching this video, it means I have been intercepted or am being intercepted,” he said.
He described the mission as a “non-violent humanitarian aid mission” for Gaza.
“We are bringing aid to Gaza peacefully. There has been a genocide in Gaza for the past eight decades. That’s why we want to end this illegal blockade and siege,” he said.
He added that if they were arrested by Israeli forces, it would be the responsibility of the Pakistani government to coordinate efforts for their release.
Ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla had departed again on Thursday from southern Turkey after earlier attempts to deliver aid to Gaza were intercepted by Israel in international waters.
Live footage showed military vessels approaching the flotilla on Monday as interceptions began.
“Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and (Israeli) forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said on X.
“We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission.”
The group said around 250 Turkish participants were among those on the intercepted vessels, which were located about 250 nautical miles (463 km) from Gaza, and that a total of 426 activists from 39 countries were involved.
Israel’s foreign ministry urged “all participants in this provocation to change course and turn back immediately”.
The previous flotilla had departed from Spain on April 12 but was intercepted by Israeli forces, who took more than 100 activists to Crete and detained others in Israel.
In October, Israeli forces also stopped another flotilla organised by the same group, detaining Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.
Palestinians and international aid organisations, along with Turkey and several other countries, maintain that aid reaching Gaza remains insufficient despite a ceasefire reached in October that included commitments to increase humanitarian supplies.
Most of Gaza’s more than two million residents have been displaced, many now living in damaged homes or makeshift shelters in open areas, roadside camps, or among the ruins of destroyed buildings.
Israel, which controls access to the Gaza Strip, has denied accusations of restricting aid, stating that more than 1.58 million tons of humanitarian assistance and thousands of tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza since October 2025.