Foreign Minister Winston Peter against taxpayer money funding return for detained Gaza activists

Foreign Minister Winston Peters is not planning on spending taxpayer money to bring Kiwis home from Israel after they were detained when a Gaza aid flotilla was intercepted.

The comments come after a window in Peters’ Auckland home was smashed by a pro-Palestine protester, who is facing court later this week.

Yesterday, the family of the trio detained in international waters put out an emotional plea to the Government to do “everything in its power” to bring them home safely.

Peters told Herald NOW’s Ryan Bridge the trio would be put on a bus to Jordan from Israel, where they were taken after being detained, and from there he hoped they would be left on their own to find a way back to New Zealand.

Peters said Rana Hamida, Youssef Sammour and Samuel Leason had “no hope of actually being successful in their so-called mission” and labelled their attempt a “PR exercise”.

Family of Rana Hamida, Youssef Sammour, and Kiwi teenager Samuel Leason speak to media with Greens co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick. Photo / Corey Fleming

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had “gone to enormous trouble” to warn Kiwis to not travel to the conflict zone and he did not want to put any more money towards “paying for that sort of behaviour”.

When Bridge asked about their travel details and if they would be left to make their own way back home he replied: “Well, I should hope so, because I do not want to talk to New Zealand taxpayers about us paying for that sort of behaviour and their tickets back home, whether it’s first class like Chloe or not”.

Organisers for the humanitarian flotilla say the boats carrying the three Kiwis were illegally intercepted on September 29 while trying to break an Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The two Palestinian-New Zealanders, Hamida and Sammour, are now on a hunger strike.

The Global Sumud Flotilla comprises dozens of boats carrying approximately 500 people, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Heba, Rana Hamida’s sister, described Rana as an “amazing soul” who wouldn’t hurt an insect.

“How can you imagine this kind of human sees the genocide and starvation of kids in Gaza, Palestine and not do anything?”

Their mission was to deliver aid, toys, food and baby formula to the people of Gaza, Heba said.

Adi Leason, the father of Samuel Leason, said British diplomats had spoken with his son and relayed that, “as expected”, he had not been treated well.

“The British got diplomats in and managed to get to visit and see some of the flotilla participants, and they found Samuel and spoke to him, checked on his wellbeing, his health,” Adi said.

“He had been roughed up, treated badly, as expected. He’s in a horrible environment.”

Over the weekend, a large group gathered outside Peter’s home in support of those on board the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Tensions came to a head at the protest in Mt Mary’s Bay on Monday, with someone smashing one of Peter’s windows with a crowbar last night. They handed themselves in hours later.