Kuala lumpur: The decision requiring Malaysians who joined the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission to sign the 'Request for Immediate Departure' form after being detained at Ketziot Prison, Israel, was made to expedite their repatriation process and does not signal concession, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He explained that this procedure was part of the standard operating procedure (SOP) communicated earlier to the delegation by the humanitarian mission secretariat, as detention by the Zionist regime was anticipated based on previous missions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohamad stated that signing the form allowed the activists to avoid the complex legal process in Israel, potentially avoiding extended detention. He emphasized that the GSF is a peace mission protesting Israeli atrocities, not a terrorist mission. The activists did not carry weapons, and signing the form should not be misunderstood as conceding, but rather as a diplomatic move carried out calmly and tactfully.
The Rembau Member of Parliament noted that signing the release form also facilitated diplomatic efforts, as Malaysia lacks official relations with Israel and depends on aid from friendly nations like Turkiye, Jordan, and Egypt. Mohamad also mentioned that the Prime Minister's Department would manage the documentation process and arrangements to bring back all 23 Malaysian activists currently in Istanbul, who are scheduled to return home on Monday.
Last Thursday, the activists were detained by the Zionist regime after their vessel was intercepted in the R3 Red Zone waters of the Mediterranean Sea and taken to the port of Ashdod, Israel. Mohamad assured that the government would continue to monitor the movements of eight other Malaysian volunteers involved in the third wave of the humanitarian aid mission to Gaza, which includes medical experts, journalists, and humanitarian activists.
He added that if these volunteers are detained, a similar approach might be adopted, including signing the form to simplify the legal process.