Israel deports two Gaza aid flotilla activists

Israel has deported two foreign activists who had been abducted from a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were among dozens of activists sailing with the flotilla when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of the Greek island of Crete on April 30.

The pair were seized by Israeli forces and taken to Israel for questioning while others were taken to Crete and released.

“Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, from the provocation flotilla, were deported today from Israel” on Sunday after an investigation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X.

In a video shared on social media, Abu Keshek said he had arrived in Athens, Greece, and thanked his legal team.

“I want to thank everyone who mobilised, our legal team Adalah, my family, my wife and children, my colleagues in the movement,” he said in the video shared by the Global Sumud Flotilla on X.

Israel’s foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was suspected of affiliation with a “terrorist” organisation and Avila was suspected of illegal activity.

Both denied the allegations, saying they were on a humanitarian mission for Gaza’s civilian population and their arrest in international waters was unlawful.

Spain, Brazil and the United Nations all called for the men’s swift release.

Appeal rejected

On Wednesday, an Israeli court rejected an appeal contesting the pair’s detention, and the rights group representing them called the ruling “unlawful”.

The Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

The flotilla’s first voyage last year was also intercepted by Israeli forces off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza.

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

Throughout Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, which started in October 2023, there have been shortages of critical supplies in the territory.

The war has left much of the enclave’s population homeless and dependent on aid, which humanitarian agencies said is arriving too slowly as Israel at times cuts off aid entirely.