Father of Gaza flotilla activist says UK ignored call for help after son seized by Israel
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Kayla Rahaman
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Thu, 05/21/2026 - 15:13
Jafer Taasleem said he has received no help from the government or his local MP Shabana Mahmood after his son who took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla was abducted by Israel
Protesters holding Palestinian flags and placards march along Piccadilly in central London during a "Nakba" demonstration in support of Palestine and against the Far Right, organised by Stop The War coalition on 16 May 2026 (AFP)
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The father of a British student activist seized by Israeli forces who raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla said the UK government did not respond to his calls for help after his son's capture.
Hasnain Jafer, a student officer at King’s College London, was abducted by the Israeli navy earlier this week when the Gaza Sumud Flotilla was raided in international waters near Cyprus.
The student activist, originally from Birmingham, was among dozens of international activists aboard the convoy attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave.
Speaking to Middle East Eye, Hasnain’s father, Jafer Taasleem, said the family had been left in distress with no official updates since the raid, which the flotilla organisers said was an "illegal, high-seas aggression".
“We’re totally distressed, worried and in extreme emotional and personal pain right now,” Taasleem told Middle East Eye.
"Shabana Mahmood - who is my MP - has provided absolutely zero support. The only MPs who have supported us are MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Ayoub Khan."
Taasleem last spoke to his son around an hour before the vessel was boarded by Israeli forces on Monday.
'Shabana Mahmood - who is my MP - has provided absolutely zero support'
- Jafer Taasleem, father of seized activist
Since then, the family says it has received no communication and has no information about his condition or that of other detainees.
“I just hope he’s well, sound and good and not being hurt in any way physically or mentally,” said Taasleem.
“At this present moment, I doubt that hasn’t happened.”
Taasleem's worries were further compounded when footage posted by Israel’s Interior Minister Itamar Ben Gvir taunting detained flotilla activists in a holding facility, drawing condemnation from the UK, US, France, Italy and Canada.
Images posted online by Ben Gvir showed more than a hundred activists handcuffed and forced to crouch in an Israeli holding facility as guards manhandled some of the activists and waved Israeli flags in their faces.
The student activist’s father called on the UK government to intervene urgently to secure the release of his son and other British nationals detained in international waters.
The raid on the Gaza Sumud Flotilla was raised in the House of Commons on Monday and Tuesday.
Lack of urgency
However, Taasleem said he felt there had been little meaningful action from ministers, especially the home secretary, Mahmood, his local MP.
The perceived lack of urgency, he added, had shaken his faith in the state.
“We’ve had many generations here. We’ve been here a very long time,” he said. “It makes me feel like nobody’s doing anything… Is this really my country? Are these people really mine?”
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Jafer had been active in pro-Palestine organising at King’s College London, including involvement in student encampments on the university's campus last year.
His father said the university had not directly contacted the family, although students had shown support.
King’s College London last publicly commented on 20 May, telling student publication Roar News that it was working with the King’s College London Students’ Union and the British Consulate to “understand more about the unfolding situation” and ensure Jafer’s safety and wellbeing.
“Hasnain really, deep down from his heart and soul, loves and values King’s,” Taasleem said.
“The university leadership has to say something, has to do something.”
Israel’s foreign ministry accused the flotilla of acting on behalf of Hamas and described the mission as a “provocation”, while maintaining that Gaza was “flooded with aid”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, distanced himself from Ben Gvir’s actions and said they were “not in line with Israel’s values” and ordered the detained activists to be deported “as soon as possible”.
The activists are expected to be returned to Turkey later on Thursday.
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