GSF: 23 Malaysian Activists Freed By Israel Headed To Istanbul – PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- The 23 Malaysians in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission who have been detained by the Zionist regime since Thursday will be flown out of Israel to Istanbul today on a special flight arranged by Turkiye, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Prime Minister said all 23 Malaysians are currently on their way to Ramon Airport in southern Israel.

“Following discussions with the Malaysian intelligence chief in Ankara, together with our ambassador and the Malaysian Embassy there, it was decided that they should stay in Istanbul for about one to one and a half days to undergo health checks due to trauma and stress resulting from Israel’s harsh and cruel actions.

“I have agreed to this, and they are expected to return home either tomorrow night or the day after,” he said in a Facebook Live broadcast today.

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).

Others included 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.

Anwar, who is also the patron of the Sumud Nusantara mission, 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 Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan 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, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Türkiye’s National Security Chief Dr Ibrahim Kalin.

According to the Prime Minister, the planning and negotiations to secure the release of those detained were not limited to activists from Malaysia and Türkiye.

“We also discussed everyone involved, including those from Europe, Indonesia and other countries participating in the Sumud Flotilla mission,” he said.

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).

Others included 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