Israel is deporting four of the twelve international human rights activists it detained after seizing a Gaza-bound aid vessel in international waters on Monday, Israeli officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, had sailed aboard the Madleen, a civilian aid boat operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, attempting to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israeli navy commandos boarded the vessel in what campaigners have called “a violation of international law”.
In a statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the passengers were taken to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and “some are expected to leave within the next few hours”. Those who refuse to sign deportation documents “will be brought before a judicial authority”, the statement added.
Israeli rights group Adalah, which is representing the detainees, said eight of the activists are being held in Givon Prison in Ramle and will appear before the immigration court on Tuesday.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the seizure of the Madleen and the detention of its passengers constituted “an unlawful act” and demanded the immediate release of all twelve volunteers and the return of “stolen humanitarian aid”. The ship was reportedly carrying medical supplies for Gaza, which has been under a strict Israeli blockade since 2007.
Among those detained are European Parliament member Rima Hassan (France), journalist Omar Faiad (Al Jazeera), Yasemin Acar (Germany), Hüseyin Şuayb Ordu (Turkey), Thiago Avila (Brazil), Sergio Toribio (Spain), Marco van Rennes (Netherlands), Baptiste Andre, Reva Viard, Pascal Maurieras, and Yanis Mhamdi (France).
Israel’s Interior Minister Moshe Arbel has instructed the Population and Immigration Authority to impose an entry ban on all 12 activists.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirmed that Israeli authorities processed the detainees at Ashdod Port before transferring them to Ramle’s detention centre. “Their detention is unlawful and a violation of international law,” the group said.
Despite repeated condemnation from rights organisations, Israel maintains that the naval blockade is necessary for security reasons. Activists argue it imposes collective punishment on Gaza’s population.
This latest interception follows several similar flotilla attempts in recent years, each met with Israeli force — a pattern that continues to draw global criticism.
