Samuel Leason: Kiwi detained by Israel discusses Israel-Palestine ceasefire announced yesterday

Three New Zealanders detained by Israel last week, have returned home.

Rana Hamida, Youssef Sammour and Samuel Leason were in an aid flotilla to Gaza, intercepted by Israel's military in the Mediterranean.

They were among hundreds from around the world, attempting to deliver food and medical supplies.

Leason told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he's hoping the ceasefire announced yesterday, will hold. 

He says he wants what's best for the people of Gaza. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The three New Zealand citizens on the flotilla to Gaza
have arrived home. They touched down in Auckland about a
couple of hours ago. Samuel Leeson was one of the
detained activists.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Hi, Sam, Hey, how are you. I'm very well, thank
you good to be home.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
Ah, yeah, it's great, it's yeah. The big relief, big
relief in lead.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
The last I heard, you guys were in Jordan, which
is where our authorities basically you know, left you.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
How'd you get home?

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Well, yeah, our socies didn't actually make any contact with us.
It was all done through through the UK, so we
were you know, we haven't. We didn't hear a single
thing from New Zealand, aside from the fact that Winston
Peters said that he wasn't going to do a thing
for us.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
I don't think that's strictly true.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
He said that he would be making sure that you
guys got out of Israel safely and to Jordan, I think,
and then from there it was on you.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, but we had no wallet, phone or any means
to get home to give into your part. Well, when
we were think intercepted illegally, we were in international warders
and we didn't want to give the ide if yeah,
information of of our personal life. So I chucked my

(01:12):
phone overboard along with everyone else.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
And Andrew Wallace, well, I didn't.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
I didn't get any of the stuff that was taken
from me back. So the only thing I got back
was a little two dollars rings. Every every single other
thing was stolen.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
So so you got to Jordan.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
How'd you get home?

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Uh? The the GSFUH organizations helped us out because we
were the only we were one of the only countries
that didn't didn't get helped home by our government. All
the other countries had had there, you know, the country

(01:52):
delegate people them.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
In terms of the people who were on the flotterer
with you, the countries that they had come from actually
paid to take them home.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, majority of them did. They were when they when
we arrived in Jordan, they were received with open arms.
They got you know, they had given food was given
to them, you know, lollies and treats. And we arrived
to a few UK people who told us that they
would drive us to a hotel and that was it.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
And so just New Zealand, the only country that didn't
didn't bring its people home.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
No, I think America received similar similar YEA treatment yet,
and so did the UK. I think actually a few
of the UK people got detained and arrested up here.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Hold on, whoa, the UK arrested their people?

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Uh, you have the fact check that. I only heard
that recently as I was driving Dick. But that's what
I heard.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Now, Sam, since you've since you've managed to get out
and get to Jordan and get home, you will have
seen what's transpired in in Gaza with the peace deal.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
How are you feeling about that?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
I think I feel that if Alvar and Gaza believe
that this is this is the right move for them,
then I will obviously back there. Yeah, I support I
support what they think is right. It's their their lives
in their lands that is in the balance here, so
if they if they support it, then I'll support it

(03:21):
as a Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Well, it's great news, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
The guns are gonna that, the fighting is going to stop,
the shooting is going to stop, the hostages are going
to get out, and food is going to get in.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, but this the seven of the past. You know,
there's been two other ceasefires and neither of them are
held up.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
So not to this point, so not to this point,
that way, not.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
To this point, so like not to this we.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Have not got we have not we have not got
to the point where Hamas has agreed to release the
hostages and the Israeli parliament has agreed to it.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah. Yeah, I guess, yeah, that is true. They ever
worked out, it'll be it'll be amazing, it'll be great.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Well, Sam listen, thanks for your time. Welcome home, Sam
Lee and Gaza activists detained by Israel, just landed home
a couple of hours ago. For more from Hither Duplessy,
Allen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd be from
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