‘We Were Abducted in International Waters’: SA Flotilla Activists on Israeli Detention Ordeal

Six South Africans detained by Israeli forces while part of the Global Sumud Flotilla have returned home to a hero’s welcome. The activists were among more than 500 peace campaigners from 45 countries attempting to break the blockade on Gaza, when their vessels were intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces last week. They described their detention as “humiliating”, with activist Mandla Mandela recounting how they were handcuffed, blindfolded, and interrogated, with Israeli officials allegedly trying to use his name for political gain. Others remain detained, some on hunger strike as international outcry grows over what’s being labelled an illegal abduction of humanitarian activists. Phemelo speaks to professional and humanitarian worker Dr Zaheera Soomer, who shares her first-hand account of the ordeal and why the mission to support Gaza must continue.