Women's Boat to Gaza: Dr Fauziah receives hero's welcome at KLIA

Dr Fauziah Mohd Hasan, the Malaysian sole representative onboard the Gaza-bound humanitarian ship, Women's Boat to Gaza has arrived home to a hero's welcome today.

Accompanied by her husband, Prof Dr Mohd Alauddin, Dr Fauziah arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang at 7.47pm from Bangkok, Thailand.

Cheering fans and an abundance of media members were waiting for the iconic humanitarian activist as she arrived via Flight TG417 at KLIA.

Resounding chants from supporters calling for -- 'Free Palestine' and 'Palestine Will Be Free' -- intensified when she and husband entered the arrival hall, into the warm embrace of their anxious family members.

The 59-year-old activist, who is also the honorary member of the Board of Trustees, Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE), had previously flown to Bangkok from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Dr Fauziah was onboard Zaytouna-Oliva along with 12 other representatives from 12 countries headed towards Gaza when the ship was seized by Israeli forces on Wednesday.

The ship was then towed to Port Ashdod soon after it was captured by the Zionist regime army.

Speaking to reporters at KLIA tonight, Dr Fauziah said she and her fellow activists saw the blockade on Gaza and how dissimilar the night view between Gaza and Israel.

"We cried when we saw how bad the condition in Gaza as compared to the lively and brightly lit Israeli area. It was a proof of Israeli oppression of Palestine," said the feisty gynaecologist.

Addressing the hundreds of people who had been patiently waiting for her since 5pm at KLIA, she was all fired up as she spoke about the experience.

She said during the detention, some of the activists were stripped off their clothes for inspections.

"Luckily, I was spared, probably because of my status as a doctor," she said.

Relating the moment before they were arrested by the Israeli forces, Dr Fauziah said she and the other activists had thrown away all sharp objects and electronic gadgets, including their mobile phones, tablets and laptop computers, as soon as they realised that there were three military ships approaching.

"We told the soldiers repeatedly that we came in peace and were heading to Gaza, but they were firm on telling us to turn back," she said, adding that at that moment, their ship was only 35 nautical miles away from Gaza.

She said, the three military ships then intercepted the humanitarian ship and almost immediately armed Israeli soldiers climbed onboard and asked them to surrender.

Zaytouna-Oliva set sail to Gaza from Barcelona on Sept 15 in a mission to challenge the Israeli blockade on Gaza after the land routes to the strip were blocked by Israel and Egypt.