Malaysian activists detained by Israel while on a humanitarian aid mission to Gaza have been released and deported to Turkey.
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“All 23 of our heroes have safely arrived in Istanbul, Turkey,” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a social media post on Saturday, after days of efforts to secure their release. Malaysia and Israel do not have diplomatic relations.
The prime minister said that the released individuals, who were detained last week, would undergo health assessments before arrangements for them to return to the Southeast Asian country. He thanked Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and “leaders of other friendly countries” for helping with the process of securing their release.
The 23 Malaysians were on board ships on a mission to deliver aid to Gaza when they were detained, Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said last week.
The release comes as Malaysia prepares for a visit by US President Donald Trump this month for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ meetings in Kuala Lumpur.
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Anwar said in a separate social media post that he looked forward to Trump’s arrival and would have a “candid and constructive exchange” with the US leader about finding peace and the “realisation of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state”.