BARCELONA, April 12 — “Terima kasih Malaysia,” said activist Thiago Avila commending the country’s unwavering solidarity and its efforts in voicing support for Palestine on the global stage.

The member of the Steering Committee for the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0, described Malaysia’s commitment as “beautiful and amazing”, saying it has been a vital force in the global movement to end the genocide in Gaza.

Avila said the strong commitment shown by Malaysians and the wider Asian community adds a significant moral dimension to the maritime mission.

“The solidarity from Malaysia, from all Nusantara region, and from all Asia in fact, has been amazing. We are very grateful for that. To the Malaysian people, we would like to say ‘Terima kasih’. You’ve been amazing,” he said when met less than 24 hours before the flotilla is due to set sail.

He noted that Malaysia, alongside Indonesia, represents a powerful voice within the global Muslim community that remains deeply connected to the Palestinian struggle.

Avila emphasised that these communities are driven by a collective refusal to witness the starvation of children or the targeted bombing of hospitals and shelters.

“We see the Asian participants of our mission as something beautiful. We’re talking about communities that love Palestine, that love freedom, that love solidarity, that hate seeing children being starved to death or bombed,” he said.

GSF is scheduled to depart from here today, carrying an international coalition determined to challenge Israel’s siege on Gaza and respond to the escalating humanitarian and political crisis faced by Palestinians.

The mission involves more than 80 boats and over 1,000 participants from around the world, combining maritime action with coordinated global mobilisation on land, as well as linking solidarity efforts, legal advocacy and grassroots campaigns across multiple countries. — Bernama