HAMILTON, Canada

A Canadian Indigenous activist, who was among six Canadian activists on the Freedom Flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip, returned Saturday to Toronto after being detained by Israel in international waters.

Mskwaasin Agnew, a 33-year-old Cree and Dene woman, and member of Salt River First Nation, was abducted by Israeli forces as the flotilla was en route to deliver aid to starving civilians in Gaza. After more than a day-long detention, she and two other Canadians were released, while three others remain in Israeli custody.

"There's still a genocide happening in Palestine," she told a crowd that welcomed her at Toronto Pearson Airport. Her arrival was met with cheers and a special drum circle as she embraced family and friends in tears.

She urged the Canadian government to "sanction Israel," emphasizing it is “committing a genocide and an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people." She also demanded a complete arms embargo against Israel.

Agnew stressed that she did not break any laws while on the flotilla.

"Israel kidnapped me from international waters," she said. "They broke international law, they held me illegally. I did nothing wrong."

During the early hours of Oct. 8, Israel attacked the flotilla approximately 120 nautical miles (220 kilometers) from Gaza, abducting 145 activists from at least 30 countries. According to organizers, Israel also seized medical and nutritional aid worth at least $110,000.

"Gaza has the right to receive me at their waters. Gaza has a right to receive people at their shores," said Agnew, adding that the flotilla was "a vessel of medics and journalists."

Demanding that Israel "open the humanitarian corridor" and "stop starving these people," she described the starvation of Palestinians as "a manufactured famine," blaming Israel for "starving children in Gaza to death."

"There's no reason why you shouldn't let in doctors and journalists. If you don't let in journalists, it's because you don't want the world to know the truth," said Agnew in tears.

She ended her remarks by shouting: "Free Palestine," joined by the crowd.

Outside the airport, Agnew reflected on her experience. "What we went through is nothing in comparison to Palestinians going through every day."

"They imprison children," she said, as the crowd shouted "Shame."

Agnew said there are "absolutely” similarities between the oppression of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Palestinians in Gaza, in response to Anadolu's question about the comparison.

"Palestinian people would die for their land. Our people would die for the land. We belong to the land. It's unmistakable, we would do anything for the land to stay on our land. No matter what," she said.

Her arrival was closely monitored by police as airport officials denied media access. Organizers of Agnew's arrival provided pictures and videos to the media.

Israel, as the occupying power, has previously attacked several Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo and deported activists on board.

It has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for nearly 18 years and tightened the siege in March when it closed border crossings and blocked food and medicine deliveries, pushing the enclave into famine.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable. A ceasefire to end two years of Israeli bombardment on the enclave was set Thursday.​​​​​​​