Kuala lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed his gratitude to the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for their support in bringing home 23 Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists previously detained by the Zionist regime. He acknowledged Erdogan's commitment in resolving the matter by allowing the use of Istanbul International Airport for the safe transit of the Malaysian delegates from Israel, before their return to Malaysia.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zahid thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan for their efforts in seeking Turkey's assistance in facilitating the return of the activists. This statement was made during the Malam Kilauan Mutiara event at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Earlier, Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) director-general Datuk Dr Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby confirmed the safe arrival of the Malaysian delegates at Istanbul International Airport at 8.40 pm Malaysia time. The delegates departed from Ramon Airport in Israel at 6.40 pm on a Turkish Airlines commercial flight, which was fully managed and sponsored by the Turkish government.
Meanwhile, commenting on the latest peace plan for Gaza, Ahmad Zahid stated that although Hamas had broadly accepted the 20-point proposal in the agreement, many details remain imbalanced. He emphasized that the key issue is not just the recognition and establishment of a Palestinian state, but the complete restoration of Palestinian rights. He stated, "Palestine must be governed by its own people, not by any external party, individual, or nation."
Reports had earlier indicated that Hamas had accepted parts of the 20-point peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. The plan includes the release of all Israeli detainees within 72 hours of the plan's approval, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. It also calls for an end to hostilities, disarmament of all armed groups in Gaza, and a phased withdrawal of Israel from the region, which would then be governed by a technocratic authority.