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Their treatment reflected the broader oppression faced by Palestinians.
By SHAKIR ACHMAT
South African humanitarian and activist Dr Fatima Hendricks returned home today after she and her comrades were subjected to humiliating and brutal treatment at the hands of Israeli Occupation while being held in detention.
She was among almost 500 humanitarian activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla when it was illegally intercepted by Israeli forces and taken to a prison in Ashdod.
It was then that the ordeal began for her and her comrades, who included five other South Africans.
Speaking to the media on arrival at Cape Town International Airport, Hendricks provided a detailed account of the events, describing the forceful boarding of their vessel, ‘Amsterdam’, after it came under attack for approximately ten hours with high-pressure water cannons.
‘We were sitting in the boiling sun as hostages, 40 miles (60 kilometres) from the shore, and our aid was stolen,’ she said.
Hendricks described the dehumanising treatment she endured upon arrival at Ashdod.
‘Two women (IOF soldiers) grabbed me and took me into the processing centre. There were no lawyers, no consular services. They ripped off my hijab and I used a t-shirt to cover my head.’
Hendricks did not allow the humiliating tactic to break her spirit and walked defiantly through the Ashdod precinct.
She recounted further mistreatment, including body-shaming related to her mastectomy.
Inside the prison, Hendricks and her fellow activists were denied basic necessities and personal belongings, including her shoes, were cut up into pieces. The Israeli forces claimed they were ‘terrorists’ and could be hiding ‘dangerous’ items in their belongings.
‘We were denied access to toilets, food, and water for 24 hours. The walls of the prison were blood-spattered and covered in writings by previous prisoners,’ she said.
She added that their treatment reflected the broader oppression faced by Palestinians.
The Global Sumud Flotilla involved 42 boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Hendricks emphasised that their mission was strictly humanitarian, and she refused to sign any forms submitted by the Israeli authorities.
‘We affirm that we were in international waters and that we are humanitarian workers,’ she said.
The return of Hendricks was welcomed by civil society organisations in Cape Town.
Shaykh Riad Fataar, President of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), praised her bravery and reiterated opposition to Zionism.
‘We thank Allah Ta’ala for your safe return, and we will not end our opposition to Zionism. Zionism is in Cape Town. Zionism is evil, and we have it all recorded, and we will take that up, Inshallah,’ he said.
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Other organisations, including the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and the Al-Quds Foundation, were present to welcome Hendricks. Shaykh Ebrahim Gabriels also addressed the gathering, emphasising continued support for Palestine.
Hendricks’ ordeal highlights the personal risks faced by activists and the broader human rights concerns surrounding the treatment of civilians delivering humanitarian aid to Palestine. Her testimony, along with that of her fellow activists, underscores the Israeli Apartheid regime’s daily acts of systematic oppression, humiliation and disregard for Palestinian lives.
