SNCC Confirms 23 Malaysians Detained by Israeli Forces; Legal Team on Standby in Jordan
SEPANG, Oct 3:The Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) has confirmed that all 23 Malaysian volunteers taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) have been detained by the Israeli military (IDF), following an interception operation that lasted nearly 20 hours.
SNCC director-general Datuk Dr. Sani Araby Abdul Alim said the detention was officially confirmed at 4:25 p.m. on Thursday, after communication with the flotilla was lost and visual evidence emerged of the vessels being escorted into Israeli custody.
“Initial reports confirm sightings of the Sirius, Estrella, Alma, and Huga beginning to enter the Port of Ashdod in Ashkelon. We anticipate that some volunteers may already have been transferred ashore,” he said at a press conference.
He added that Malaysia’s legal team in Jordan is on standby to represent the detained volunteers during interrogations and to ensure their rights are upheld. Volunteers have been instructed not to answer questions unless an authorized legal representative is present.
The 23 Malaysians aboard multiple vessels include several well-known public figures: singer Heliza Helmi and her sister Nur Hazwani Afiqah (aboard Hio); Zizi Kirana (aboard Huga); influencer Nurul Hidayah Mohd Amin, also known as Ardell Aryana (aboard Mikeno); and preacher PU Rahmat (aboard Estrella).
Other participants include Nurfarahin Romli, Danish Nazran Murad, Musa Nuwayri, Iylia Balqis, Sul Aidil, Haikal Abdullah, Muaz Zainal, Zulfadhli Khiduddin, Rusydi Ramli, Razali Awang, Norhelmi Ab Ghani, Mohd Asmawi Mukhtar, Norazman Ishak, Zainal Rashid, Ustaz Muhammad, Muhammad Hareez Adzrami (Haroqs), Muhd Haikal Luqman Zulkefli, and Taufiq Mohd Razif.
The flotilla, carrying more than 500 activists from 45 countries, set sail with food and medical supplies for Gaza, aiming to break Israel’s blockade and call for an immediate end to the war and famine in the besieged enclave.
The humanitarian effort drew international attention with the participation of figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg, Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon, and Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela.
According to organizers, the flotilla was intercepted by Israeli naval forces early Thursday morning in international waters near the designated “R3 red zone” before being forcibly diverted to Israeli ports.
The SNCC vowed to continue pressing for the immediate release of all Malaysian participants while calling on international bodies to condemn what it described as an unlawful act against civilians on a humanitarian mission.