SHAH ALAM – A humanitarian flotilla heading to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, with 12 Malaysian volunteers among those detained.
The incident took place in the Mediterranean Sea while the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) was en route to deliver aid to the besieged territory.
Social media personality and activist Nurfarahin Romli, better known as Farah Lee, was among those on board.
She recounted how Israeli forces used high-pressure water jets before the detention.
“Israel sprayed water so strong that all of us on the boat were thrown off balance. They warned us either to sail into Israel or turn back.
“If we insisted, this was their final warning and they would harm our ship,” she said in her last video posted on Instagram before being detained on Thursday.
The video was shared with the Childrity group before she lost contact and was later confirmed to have been detained by Israeli troops.
The Sumud Nusantara Control Centre (SNCC) earlier confirmed at 2.03am Malaysian time on Thursday that the GSF vessel had been intercepted.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry in a statement accused the convoy of being a provocation and ordered it to change course.
Farah was on board the Grande Blu with Danish Nazran Murad, who was also detained.