PETALING JAYA: All Malaysians detained in Israel after joining the Gaza‑bound Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) are safe and in good condition, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
“As of this morning, I have been in contact with the Malaysian Embassy in Amman, Jordan, and was informed that all Malaysians who took part in the GSF are currently in detention but safe and well,” he said at a press conference at the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre in Sepang on Saturday (Oct 4).
He added that legal advisers from Adalah, appointed by the mission’s operations centre to act as legal counsel in Israel, have yet to meet them
Mohamad then said that the team is monitoring the situation closely as many flotilla participants have already been charged.
“These Malaysians have been briefed in advance on the standard operating procedures, including signing a deportation letter to facilitate their release.
Once signed, they can be deported quickly after admitting guilt, as was done in previous flotilla missions,” he said.
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Mohamad said the Malaysian government anticipated such a situation and has been actively coordinating with various parties.
“The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has personally reached out to his counterparts, including President Erdogan of Turkiye and the Egyptian president,” he said.
“I have been in contact several times with my counterparts from Jordan and Egypt, and I have also received a WhatsApp message from the US Deputy Secretary of State, whom I sought assistance from earlier in New York should anything happen,” added Mohamad.
He explained that once the detainees are released, the government will arrange their return through the King Hussein Bridge crossing into Jordan before flying them either directly to Kuala Lumpur or via Doha.
“The challenge now is that they remain inside detention centres in Israel, so communication has been cut off,” he said.
“We are in contact through intermediaries in Israel – namely Adalah – which has been appointed since the beginning to act as our legal representative,” he added.
Mohamad said Malaysia does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and therefore all communication is conducted through third parties.
“In some cases, detainees were charged without the presence of lawyers, which Adalah has protested because they wanted to enter the courtroom when the detainees were being questioned,” he said.
He said all participants were thoroughly briefed to avoid any provocative actions and to cooperate with the authorities for their safe and swift release.
“Our operations centre continues to monitor the situation live, by the second,” he added.
