Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 23 October 2025 | 11:45 CAT

Yvonne Ridley shares her first-hand account of detention by Israeli forces during the Sumud Flotilla, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza 📸

British journalist and activist Yvonne Ridley have shared harrowing details of her detention by Israeli forces while aboard the Umar al-Mukhtar, part of the Sumud Flotilla, aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. Speaking to Radio Islam International during her visit to South Africa with the Salaam Foundation, Ridley described her ordeal as “brutal” and “inhumane,” contrasting it sharply with her previous captivity under the Taliban.

“I shocked people when I came out and said I was treated with courtesy and respect by the Taliban,” Ridley recalled. “Now they’re shocked when I say I’d rather go back to Afghanistan and spend two more months with the Taliban than two minutes with the Israelis. When it comes to savage, brutal regimes, the Israelis are in pole position, they make the Taliban look like Tupperware agents.”

Ridley described being manhandled, abused, humiliated, and strip-searched while in Israeli custody, with no access to medical care or legal representation. “They tried to force me to sign a paper saying I entered Israel illegally. But I was kidnapped in international waters and taken hostage. Why would I sign something so false?” she said, condemning what she termed a “disgraceful affair” and the complicity of Western leaders in failing to hold Israel accountable.

The Sumud Flotilla, which she described as “the largest ever seaborne peace initiative in the history of the Mediterranean,” sought to establish a humanitarian corridor to Gaza. Though it was prevented from reaching its destination, Ridley emphasized its symbolic power. “It wasn’t just 500 activists. It was 30,000 supporters from over 45 countries. It captured global imagination and highlighted the ongoing isolation and siege of Gaza,” she said.

Ridley reminded listeners that Gaza’s blockade predates 2005, pointing out that when she first sailed into Gaza in 2008, it was the first vessel to do so in more than 40 years. “The siege has gone on for decades, the deliberate isolation of Palestinians for 77 years since the Nakba,” she said.

Commending South Africa’s legal efforts, Ridley noted that “South Africa remains the only country to act decisively,” referring to its case before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli leaders including Benjamin Netanyahu and Itamar Ben-Gvir for war crimes.

As Ridley continues her speaking tour across Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, she urges continued global solidarity with Palestine. “This is not just a Middle Eastern issue, it’s a test of our collective humanity,” she concluded.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Yvonne Ridley.