SA's Global Sumud Flotilla activists describe 'humiliation' after illegal detention by Israeli forces

A large crowd of family, supporters and media members gathered at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning, 8 October 2025, to welcome six South Africans back home after they flew in from Qatar and Jordan following their release from Israeli detention on Tuesday.

The South Africans, together with more than 500 hundred other activists from 45 countries, were last week abducted by Israeli forces in international waters from 41 vessels making up the Global Sumud Flotilla as it sailed towards Gaza in an effort to break Israel’s crippling siege on the coastal territory, which has caused an enormous humanitarian crisis.

South Africans Reaaz Moola, Zukiswa Wanner, Dr Fatima Hendricks, Zaheera Soomar, Carrie Shelver, and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela were ushered through an excited crowd to address the assembled media.

Addressing the press conference, an emotional Mandela said that when they were intercepted by Israeli forces their hands were handcuffed tightly with cable ties behind their backs and their heads pushed down. 

He said after the interception, Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir had wanted to address him personally because he was the grandson of Nelson Mandela, and to turn it into a political photo op.

“But the irony of this was, what you would regard as the second in command in Israel was rejected by an ordinary captain in the police and told ‘no, you can’t address individuals… move, move’ and he was ushered to the side and denied that opportunity. He wanted to dehumanise us,” said Mandela.

‘Denied showers’ 

He also said the South Africans had been denied showers and believed they had been targeted because they were a nation that had dared to take Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and hold it accountable.

The South Africans also refused to sign any documents presented to them by the Israeli authorities and were denied all legal representation, added Mandela.

Dr Fatima Hendricks said the Israelis “used every form of humiliation. During detention, they came into our cells and attacked two women. We had 35 soldiers pointing guns at our foreheads to remove two of our comrades,” she told the assembled media.

Internationally renowned writer and author Zukiswa Wanner said the South Africans had been at a disadvantage because there was no South African embassy in Israel, and only a representative office in Ramallah, Palestine.

“The consular officials tried to see us on Thursday but were not allowed. When they finally saw us it was Sunday, and we were only allowed a few minutes to talk to them,” said Wanner. 

Zaheera Soomar said neither she nor any of her comrades regretted taking part in the flotilla.

“It was a very difficult journey but nothing compares to what the people of Gaza face every single minute of every day. Even in our hardest moments we were exactly where we wanted to be.”

‘International law violated’

World leaders and human rights groups said Israel had violated international law when it seized the boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that a nation’s territory does not extend beyond 12 nautical miles (19km) from its shores.  

Furthermore, Gaza is considered occupied Palestinian territory according to international law, so the boats would not have been in Israeli territorial water at any point.

According to Human Rights Watch, contrary to what the Israeli government claims, Israel’s withdrawal of its ground forces from Gaza in 2005 did not end its occupation of Gaza. 

That is because, ever since, Israel has maintained effective control over Gaza, including its territorial waters and airspace, the movement of people and goods, except at Gaza’s border with Egypt, and the infrastructure upon which Gaza relies, rendering the strip an open-air prison.

The South Africans were among hundreds of international activists deported from Israel over the past week. However, dozens are still being held in Israeli detention with some of them reported to be on hunger strike.

International activist Greta Thunberg was also released as activists reported her being abused, including being dragged by her hair and denied sufficient food and water.

However, in a statement on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry denied this, saying these were “lies”.

“All the detainees’ legal rights are fully upheld. Greta also did not complain to the Israeli authorities about any of these ludicrous and baseless allegations — because they never occurred,” the foreign ministry said.

But the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Australian detainees had complained to diplomatic officials of serious mistreatment by the Israeli authorities, including physical beatings in a “dystopian” prison environment.

“The reports contained allegations of prison guards kicking and slapping the detainees, using sleep deprivation techniques, and confiscating medication,” Australia’s ABC reported.

Another flotilla intercepted

Meanwhile, another wave, comprising nine flotilla boats, was intercepted by Israeli security forces as it approached Gaza’s coastline overnight on Tuesday/Wednesday morning, carrying more than a hundred doctors, journalists, lawyers, elected officials and activists.

The boats were also carrying aid worth more than $110,000 in medicines, respiratory equipment and nutritional supplies.

“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships,” said David Heap of the Canadian Boat to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla Coalition Steering Committee. 

“This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the International Court of Justice’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza,” he said.

In a related development, CBS News reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had last month personally ordered the Israel Defence Forces to attack two vessels from the Gaza-bound flotilla. 

The report, citing two unnamed US intelligence officials, said that Israeli forces launched drones from a submarine on two separate occasions, on 8 and 9 September. 

The drones dropped incendiary materials on the ships while they were docked at a port in Tunisia, sparking fires on board. DM