Israel deports hundreds of Gaza flotilla activists after backlash over their treatment

The Israeli government has deported hundreds of flotilla activists who attempted to reach Gaza and whose treatment by a member of Benjamin Netanyahu's government sparked international condemnation. About 420 activists departed Israel on planes bound for Turkey, where they landed Thursday evening in Istanbul. Wearing grey sweatsuits and Arab keffiyehs, they descended stairs to the runway flashing two-fingered salutes and chanting “Free Palestine.” Some appeared to be limping. Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Wednesday he instructed that the activists be deported “as soon as possible,” after sharply rebuking Israel’s national security minister for provocative videos showing the minister taunting detained flotilla activists who were handcuffed and kneeling. Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla comfort each other upon their arrival at Istanbul Airport. Credit: AP Netanyahu said that although Israel has every right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,” the way National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dealt with the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.” Ben-Gvir released videos on Wednesday showing him walking among some of the detainees. In one, activists with their hands tied behind their backs are kneeling, their heads touching the floor inside what appears to be a makeshift detention area on the deck of a ship. Several countries, including Britain, France and Portugal, summoned Israeli envoys on Thursday over concerns about the treatment of flotilla activists, many of whom were citizens of their own countries, in protest of Ben-Gvir’s actions. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was "truly appalled" by the footage saying "this violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity in the way people should be treated". Turkey, Greece, Italy and Indonesia also condemned Israel for Ben-Gvir's comments and the treatment of flotilla activists. One of the members of the flotilla who was detained has been identified as a St Andrews academic Dr Antonis Vradis. He was one of two Scots detained among the group. The university said he is now safe in Turkey. Two Italian citizens who had been detained by Israel returned home on Thursday, said they had been beaten and mistreated, allegations that were denied by Israeli prison officials. Dario Carotenuto, an Italian lawmaker, said he experienced the “longest seconds” of his life when Israeli forces pointed rifles at activists inside a detention facility. “They kicked me in the legs and punched me in the face,” said Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian newspaper journalist. The allegations were “false and entirely without factual basis,” said Zivan Freidin, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service. Dozens of the activists' boats began setting sail from Spain to Gaza in April. Israel stopped 20 vessels from the group on April 30 near the southern Greek island of Crete and forced most of its activists to disembark. Top Israeli diplomat in UK summoned over ‘inflammatory’ video of detainees Israeli minister condemned for taunting Gaza flotilla activists in video Israel took two high-profile activists, Spanish-Swedish citizen Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila, back to Israel, where they were interrogated and detained for around a week before being deported. The activists accused Israel of torture, claims Israel denies. Brazil and Spain condemned Israel for “kidnapping” their citizens. Participants then regrouped and more than 50 boats departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris on May 14. Israeli forces began stopping the boats about 167 miles from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website. Israel's Foreign Ministry has called the flotilla “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas.” The boats carry a tiny, symbolic amount of aid. Last year, Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving some 500 activists. Israel has maintained a sea blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007. Israeli authorities intensified it after the Hamas-led militant attacks on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage on October 7, 2023. Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment. Israel says it’s intended to prevent Hamas from arming itself. Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. Reporting History sees journalists join News At Ten anchor Tom Bradby to revisit their remarkable on-the-day reports of the defining events of the modern age. Listen to the episodes below...