CAPE TOWN, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Protests were held on Thursday at several healthcare facilities in South Africa against Israel's illegal interception and abduction of Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) participants in international waters.

The protests, led by Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine-South Africa (HCW4P-SA), followed the interception of most GSF vessels by Israeli naval forces as they attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

South Africans confirmed to have been abducted by Israeli forces include Nelson Mandela's grandson Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, writer and cultural activist Zukiswa Wanner, activist Reaaz Moola, occupational therapist Fatima Hendricks, and business executive Zaheera Soomar.

The convoy is the largest civilian-led maritime mission to challenge the blockade on Gaza, comprising around 50 vessels with about 500 volunteers from more than 47 countries.

Vessels were attacked with water cannons -- some for several hours -- their communication signals jammed, and firearms pointed at the unarmed volunteers.

Those that have reached or were near Gaza's territorial waters were met with Israeli speed boats and paragliders, according to South African GSF organizer Basheerah Soomar.

HCW4P-SA called on the World Medical Association to suspend the membership of the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) and urged the implementation of comprehensive boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel.

Outside Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, HWC4P-SA member Feroza Amien said, "The IMA has not come out to condemn the genocide; they have not come out in any way to protect the integrity and the sanctity of healthcare in a warzone, which is protected under international humanitarian law."

Since October 2023, Israel has carried out 1,650 attacks on health facilities in Gaza and the West Bank, killing more than 1,580 healthcare workers as of May 25, 2025, and damaging or destroying nearly 94 percent of Gaza's hospitals, according to a Lancet report released last month.

In a statement released, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) called the abduction of activists on board the vessels "a rogue act of piracy and illegal aggression on the high seas."

At Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town, PSC Coordinator Usuf Chikte said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa should follow the example of his Colombian counterpart by shutting down the Israeli embassy and expelling its diplomats, while calling for comprehensive sanctions against Israel.

"He can also ensure that no coal leaves from South African harbors on ships sailing to Israel, which is fuelling the genocide," Chikte said.

He also expressed concern over flotilla members abducted by Israel, adding that they should be guaranteed a safe return to their boats to continue their journey to its conclusion. ■