Activists from the “Global Sumud Flotilla” said after arriving in Turkey that their detention and alleged mistreatment by Israeli authorities would not weaken their determination to support Gaza and advocate for the Palestinian cause.

On Thursday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced the evacuation of 422 volunteers aboard the flotilla through three Turkish Airlines flights after Israel intercepted and detained them in international waters while they were heading toward Gaza on a humanitarian mission.

Speaking at Istanbul Airport, South African activist Ibrahim Peters said the experience gave participants a glimpse into what Palestinians endure daily.

“The issue is not what happened to us, but what Palestinians inside Israeli prisons face every day,” Peters said, adding that detainees there suffer far worse treatment.

He stressed that Israel would not succeed in discouraging international solidarity activists, saying: “We are now even more determined.”

Peters also claimed Israeli soldiers singled him out after learning he was from South Africa and told him he would “pay the price” for South Africa’s legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

American activist Gregory Terry described the Israeli soldiers as “the cruelest people” he had ever encountered and said he could not imagine the scale of suffering experienced by Palestinians on a daily basis.