At least 12 Malaysians on a humanitarian aid trip to Gaza have been detained by Israeli forces who stopped their flotilla outside the blockaded Palestinian enclave early on Thursday morning, triggering condemnation from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail in August, is seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade and spotlight the siege of a territory where 65,400 people have been killed according to the United Nations, which last month called Israel’s actions a genocide.
A total of 34 Malaysians are on board, including celebrities, singers, actors and social media personalities, as well as activists.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations, which is overseeing the Malaysian mission, confirmed the arrests of a dozen of its members and shared pre-recorded messages from several of those detained.
Rapper Zizi Kirana, 40, said she was “abducted and taken against her will” by Israeli forces.
