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World — Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela was among the group of South Africans who had safely arrived in Jordan after being detained by Israel. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that the delegation was received by South Africa’s Ambassador to Jordan, Tselane Mokuena, following their release by Israeli authorities.
The return of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists followed days of diplomatic coordination between South Africa and international partners to secure their release. The flotilla drew global attention after being intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters.
In a post on X, Mandela confirmed that “all our comrades, brothers and sisters on the Global Sumud Flotilla are safe and on their way home.”
Among those on board the flotilla were Mandla Mandela, Zukiswa Wanner, Reaaz Moolla, Zaheera Soomar, Fatima Hendricks, and Carrie Shelver. The GSF set sail from Barcelona, Spain, in early September before being stopped by the Israeli navy as it neared Gaza.
Reports from the region indicated that more than 470 people were detained after Israeli forces intercepted the vessels. The arrests prompted widespread condemnation and calls for the international community to intervene.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola expressed gratitude to all parties who worked together to ensure the safe return of the citizens. He also thanked South Africa’s diplomatic staff and regional partners for their cooperation.
“The South African government remains committed to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad,” the department said.
The GSF, launched in June this year, is an international civil society initiative aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. It seeks to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis and call for an end to the ongoing siege and violence in the region.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that 171 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were deported from Israel to Greece and Slovakia. The ministry listed several European and Western nations among those whose citizens had been detained and later released by the Israeli regime.
Greta Thunberg Speaks Out from Greece
Swedish climate and Palestinian activist Greta Thunberg addressed the media after arriving in Greece, condemning global leaders for what she described as complicity in the Israeli atrocities in Gaza. Her speech has since circulated widely on social media, sparking debate and renewed attention on the humanitarian crisis.
Thunberg said that governments worldwide were failing to act on the unfolding crisis and disregarding their moral and legal obligations under international law. She also accused world leaders of turning away from atrocities despite widespread public awareness.
“Let me be very clear. There is a genocide going on in front of our very eyes. A live-streamed genocide on all of our phones. No one has the privilege to say we are not aware of what is happening. No one in the future will be able to say we did not know,” Thunberg said.
She went on to condemn what she called the failure of international systems to protect the Palestinian people and prevent human rights abuses. Thunberg argued that the continued supply of weapons to Israel directly fuels the violence in Gaza.
“Under international law, states have a legal obligation to act to prevent and to stop a genocide from happening. That means ending complicity, applying real pressure and ending arms transfers. We are not seeing that. We are not even seeing the bare minimum from our governments. Our international systems are betraying Palestinians,” she said.
Thunberg also described the GSF as a powerful act of global solidarity, representing ordinary people stepping in where governments had failed to act. She said the mission embodied courage and compassion amid widespread political inaction.
She described the flotilla as “the biggest ever attempt to break Israel’s illegal and inhumane siege by sea,” calling it a story of collective humanity. “It is a story of people stepping up when our governments failed to do so,” she said.
