Amman: The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has confirmed that South African citizens who were detained in Israel have safely arrived in Jordan.
According to South African Government News Agency, South Africa’s Ambassador to Jordan, Tselane Mokuena, was present to receive the delegation on behalf of the country.
On Monday, the department announced that these Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists would be released and repatriated, departing for Jordan on Tuesday morning. ‘The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has been formally notified by the Israeli authorities regarding the status of the South African citizens who participated in the recent Global Flotilla initiative,’ the statement read.
South Africans who were on board the flotilla include Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, Zukiswa Wanner, Reaaz Moolla, Zaheera Soomar, Fatima Hendricks and Carrie Shelver. The GSF set sail from Barcelona, Spain, in early September and was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters as it approached Gaza. Reports indicate that Israeli police arrested over 470 people who were on board the flotilla boats.
Minister Ronald Lamola has expressed gratitude to all parties, both domestically and internationally, for their cooperation in ensuring the safe return of South African citizens. ‘The South African government remains committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad,’ the department said.
The GSF is an international initiative led by civil society, launched in June of this year. The movement aims to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, raise awareness about the urgent needs of the Palestinian people, and emphasise the necessity of ending the conflict in Gaza.
Yesterday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that 171 activists from the flotilla, including the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were deported from Israel to Greece and Slovakia. The deportees are citizens of Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Serbia, and the United States.