Participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 currently under the control of Israeli forces may face an extended detention period at Ketziot Prison in Israel.
According to Datuk Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby, Director-General of the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC), the situation is believed to depend on the participants’ previous encounters with Israeli detention.
He said there are three possible scenarios involving the detainees. The first involves individuals detained for the first time, who may be released earlier.
“The second scenario involves activists who have previously been detained in Israeli prisons, and they are at risk of being held for a longer period,” he said, adding that this group could face extended incarceration.
He said the third and most critical group involves activists whose repeated involvement is said to have angered Israeli forces, potentially leading to even longer detention at Ketziot Prison.
He noted that Ketziot Prison is a controversial facility and the largest prison in Israel, established in 1988.
Sani Araby said the possibility of extended detention could be used as leverage by Israel to pressure the international community to lift restrictions or withdraw arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He also said that detainees could potentially be labelled under various allegations, including involvement in terrorist-related activities.
At the same time, he said there is no guarantee that the Malaysian detainees will be released before Aidiladha.
“The sacrifice of these activists is significant, as they may not be able to return home before Aidiladha,” he said.
“They are aware of this possibility, and it is a major sacrifice on their part.”
He added that the struggle represents a collective effort to push for an end to ongoing detention and the continued occupation in Gaza.
