He said the government is mobilising various diplomatic channels through international partners with embassies in Israel, including the US, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, to ensure the safety and release of Malaysians, Bernama reported.
“We had anticipated that such a situation might occur, so we had discussed it with our partners, especially those from Asean,” he was quoted as saying after visiting the Sumud Nusantara Command and Operations Centre (SNCC) in Sepang today.
“Since Malaysia does not have an embassy in Israel, we have requested friendly nations to provide consular assistance to our citizens who have been detained.”
Mohamad said Jordan and Turkey have given assurances to assist in the repatriation process once the Malaysians are released.
He added that the US, through its deputy secretary of state, has also committed to helping via its embassy in Tel Aviv and is ready to provide any necessary support.
All Malaysian diplomatic missions in Jordan, Turkey, Cairo and Algeria are now on standby to offer assistance and logistical support should the Malaysians be released through any border point, he said.
“We don’t know through which route they will be released because it depends on the Israeli Zionist regime to decide how they will be sent back,” he said.
Mohamad also said communication between the legal team representing GSF and the detained activists has been temporarily disrupted due to Israel observing the Yom Kippur holiday, during which all government and diplomatic offices are closed.
“Don’t worry, the government is monitoring their condition by the second. We hope that when offices reopen on Monday, we will be able to re-establish contact. But our communication through friendly nations remains very good,” he said.
The GSF mission, which involved more than 500 activists from 44 countries, including Malaysia, was sailing toward Gaza as a show of solidarity and an effort to break Israel’s blockade by delivering essential supplies to Palestinians affected by ongoing Israeli attacks.
The foreign ministry had earlier confirmed that all 23 Malaysians who joined the mission were detained and would be deported through a third country.