Israel Deports Foreign Activists After Navy Intercepts Gaza-Bound Flotilla

Israel deported all foreign activists aboard the humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza after Israeli Navy intercepted the vessels, with authorities confirming the deportations on Tuesday.

“Ben-Gvir taunting handcuffed flotilla activist”

Ahram Online

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said, “they have all been deported,” while Adalah representative Moatasem Zeidan told Agence France-Presse that the activists ultimately did not appear before a judge despite initial plans for legal proceedings.

Ahram Online

The activists were reportedly held at Ketchiyot prison in southern Israel and were transported to Ramon Airport near Eilat in southern Israel before departing for their respective countries.

According to Albanian Daily News, the “Sumud” Global Flotilla included nearly 50 vessels and about 430 members, and Turkish media reported that 78 of the nearly 430 activists were Turkish citizens.

The same report said 37 French nationals departed for Istanbul, where representatives of the French embassy are expected to assist them before their return to France.

Al-Azhar condemned what it described as Ben-Gvir’s mistreatment of flotilla activists as “systematic Zionist abuse,” citing footage showing detained activists at Ashdod Port blindfolded and handcuffed on the ground.

The observatory said the incident reflected the continued practices of the Israeli government and described Ben-Gvir’s conduct as “systematic Zionist policies.”

Al-Jazeera Net

Ahram Online also said Netanyahu ordered the rapid deportation of the activists to reduce international criticism, particularly after what it described as the “piracy” of the flotilla vessels in international waters and the detention of around 428 participants from nearly 40 countries.

Al-Jazeera Net described how media outlets and Israeli accounts published footage of Israeli activist Zohar Righf appearing before a magistrate judge at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court, where Judge Tal Mor Peres ordered her release under lenient conditions including a 60-day ban from Gaza.

The Al-Jazeera Net account added that Righf’s restraints were removed, she embraced Islam and wears a hijab, and she began a hunger strike at the moment of her arrest, drinking only water.

Al-Jazeera Net said the Adalah organization announced it received official confirmation that all activists of the “Global Flotilla of Resilience” and the “Freedom Flotilla Coalition” who were detained were released from Ketziot Prison and on their way to deportation, except for Israeli passport holder Zohar Righf who was brought to the court.

“Israel Deports Foreign Activists Detained From Gaza-Bound Aid Flotilla Israel has deported all foreign activists who were aboard the humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza after the vessels were intercepted by the Israeli Navy while attempting to reach the Palestinian enclave, authorities confirmed on Tuesday”

Albanian Daily News

The same account said the Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a video showing him overseeing brutal acts against activists on the Flotilla of Resilience, and that the scenes of brutality provoked angry international reactions including summons of ambassadors and representatives from Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium, and Britain.

Al-Jazeera Net also reported that on Tuesday evening the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the completion of the detention of all Flotilla of Resilience activists and their transfer to ships belonging to the Israeli Navy.

The flotilla organizers said the Israeli army attacked all the boats, about 50 boats, carrying 428 activists from 44 countries, and they said they were working to break the Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007.

They added that the blockade has contributed to a “choking humanitarian crisis” faced by about 2.4 million Palestinians in the strip, with conditions worsened after the Israeli war of annihilation that lasted more than two years, leaving tens of thousands of martyrs and injured.