Gaza aid ships: Israel to deport 23 detained M'sians via Turkey within 48 hours

All 23 Malaysians who were detained by Israeli forces that intercepted their Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ships will be repatriated back to Malaysia within 48 hours.

The activists were reportedly arrested on Oct. 2 when their boats, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), were intercepted by the Israeli Navy as they approached Gaza.

A number of those on board were Malaysian influencers and celebrities, including singer Zizi Kirana and influencer Farah Lee.

Deported via Turkey

According to a statement by Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC), the Malaysia-based headquarters overseeing the GSF's voyage, all 23 Malaysians will return home via Istanbul, Turkey.

They are expected to depart Ashdod, Israel, on the same flight as Turkish activists who were also detained on Oct. 2

Malaysia prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a Facebook post that he had made a direct plea for assistance to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who gave his "full consent and commitment to help".

"The government is also in close contact with Qatar and the United States, to ensure that international collective pressure can be accumulated for the immediate release of our activists," Anwar added.

Harsh treatment

Details of the treatment of those detained have also emerged, according to another statement by the SNCC.

The Malaysian delegation aboard the flotilla were reportedly held in Israel's Ketziot Prison upon their arrest, notorious for their guards' harsh treatment of Palestinian inmates.

Alongside other passengers on the flotilla, they were allegedly forced to kneel with zip-tie handcuffs for approximately five hours, after some of them chanted "Free Palestine".

Detainees were also allegedly denied access to basic human needs including water, toilets and medicine, the SNCC said.

All boats intercepted

Al Jazeera reported that all 44 boats in the flotilla have been intercepted by Israeli forces as of Oct. 3.

At least 30 boats were previously believed to still be en route to Gaza, according to an update by the flotilla in the early morning of Oct. 2.

A total of about 462 passengers from more than 40 countries were detained, SNCC confirmed.

Among them were Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, and four Italian members of parliament, who have since been deported back to Italy.

International leaders condemned Israel's arrests, calling them unlawful seizures.

Protests erupted around the world after news of Israel's interception of the boats broke, including in Malaysia, where thousands gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur to demands the release of their countrymen.

The flotilla was reportedly transporting humanitarian aid items including rice, formula milk, clean water and medicine, which are believed to still be on the seized boats.

Top images via GSF/Instagram & SNCC/Instagram