KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-three Malaysians from the Global Sumud Flotilla delegation who had been detained by the Zionist regime since Thursday have been flown out of Israel.
The Sumud Nusantara Command Centre stated that a special aircraft carrying all the Malaysian activists departed for Istanbul at 6.45 pm Malaysian time.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed in a Facebook post that all 23 Malaysians had departed on a special Turkish government flight, TK6921, from Ramon Airport.
He announced that the Malaysian Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate General in Istanbul would arrange accommodation for them to stay overnight in Istanbul before returning home.
“Heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,“ he said.
Earlier, Anwar, in a Facebook Live broadcast, said the 23 Malaysians involved in the GSF mission would remain in Istanbul for at least a day to undergo medical checks for trauma and stress caused by Israel’s harsh actions, before returning home.
The patron of the Sumud Nusantara mission also stressed that the success in securing the release and return of 23 Malaysians from the custody of the Zionist regime was the result of extensive diplomatic negotiations.
He said the release process involved close international coordination, including discussions between Mohamad and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as with the Jordanian government, and between Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The Prime Minister said the success was also the outcome of his own negotiations with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Erdogan and Türkiye’s National Security Chief Dr Ibrahim Kalin.
The 23 Malaysians were detained by Israeli forces after their ships were intercepted in the R3 Red Zone waters of the Mediterranean Sea and taken to the port of Ashdod in Israel.
The detained Malaysians are singer Heliza Helmi and her younger sister Nur Hazwani Afiqah, who were on the vessel Hio; Nurfarahin Romli (Farah Lee) and Danish Nazran Murad (Grande Blu); singer Zizi Kirana (Huga); Musa Nuwayri, Iylia Balqis and Sul Aidil (Alma); Haikal Abdullah, Muaz Zainal, Zulfadhli Khiruddin and Rusydi Ramli (Sirius).
Razali Awang on the vessel Inana; influencer Nurul Hidayah Mohd Amin, better known as Ardell Aryana (Mikeno); PU Rahmat, Norhelmi Ab Ghani, Mohd Asmawi Mukhtar, Norazman Ishak (Estrella); Zainal Rashid and Ustaz Muhammad Abdullah (Fair Lady), as well as Muhammad Hareez Adzrami, better known as Haroqs, Muhd Haikal Luqman Zulkefli and Taufiq Mohd Razif (Free Willy).
The GSF, comprising over 500 activists from 45 countries, set sail for Gaza as a symbol of solidarity and an effort to break the Israeli blockade, while delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. – Bernama