SEPANG: Crowds have begun gathering at Terminal One of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to welcome home the 23 Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists due to arrive Tuesday (Oct 7) night from Turkiye after being released by the Israeli forces.
Hundreds of people wearing the Palestinian colours and carrying flags with cardboard banners stating "Stand4Sumud" and "Welcome Home Heroes of Humanity" shouted "Free, free Palestine, Allahu Akbar" as they stood waiting in front of the area cordoned off by the authorities.
Swarms of media personnel were also present to record the event, with journalists and cameramen busy recording the antics of family members and friends of the activists.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and several Cabinet ministers are expected to receive the activists upon their return.
On Oct 7, Datuk Ahmad Farhan Fauzi, the political secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the 23 Malaysia GSF activists are due to arrive at KLIA Terminal 1 at 9.50pm.
Ahmad Farhan had met with the 23 Malaysians in Istanbul, Turkiye, after they were deported by the Israeli government.
On Thursday (Oct 2), the 23 Malaysians were detained by Israel after the ships they were on were intercepted while in the Red Zone in the Mediterranean Sea and were taken to the port of Ashdod, Israel.
They were later released and departed from Ramon Airport, Israel at 6.45pm Malaysian time on Sunday before arriving in Istanbul at 8.40pm.
The Malaysians who were detained in Israel described experiencing mistreatment at the hands of the Israeli forces, claiming they were denied food, water, medicine and basic rights.
About 450 participants of GSF, who hailed from various countries, were detained last week for participating in the mission to send humanitarian aid to Gaza.
