Tel Aviv: Israel on Sunday deported two activists who had been detained for more than a week after leading an aid flotilla attempting to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The deported activists were Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Avila, both members of the steering committee of the Global Sumud Flotilla. The group’s mission was to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The activists were among dozens intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of Crete. Israeli authorities had earlier said the pair were detained for questioning, alleging that Abukeshek was “suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organisation” while Avila was “suspected of illegal activity”. However, no evidence was publicly provided and no formal charges were announced.
In a post on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry described the two as “professional provocateurs”, adding that Israel “will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza”.
The detention triggered diplomatic criticism and protests. Spain and Brazil jointly condemned what they described as “the kidnapping of two of their citizens in international waters by the Government of Israel”.
According to activists, the Israeli navy intercepted 22 boats carrying around 175 activists. They alleged that Israeli forces boarded the vessels, damaged engines and detained several people onboard. The flotilla was intercepted overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, hundreds of kilometres away from Gaza and Israeli territory.
Israeli officials defended the operation, saying early intervention was necessary due to the large number of vessels involved before the flotilla could approach Israeli waters.
The latest attempt came less than a year after Israeli authorities blocked a similar mission involving nearly 50 vessels and about 500 activists. Participants in that earlier flotilla included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Mandla Mandela and several lawmakers.
Israel had detained and later deported the participants in that mission as well, including Avila, who accused Israeli authorities of abuse during detention. Israel denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the Al-Amal neighbourhood of Khan Younis killed at least two people on Sunday, according to the Nasser Hospital.
The dead included Col. Wessam Abdel-Hadi, head of the police investigation department in Khan Younis, hospital officials said. The strike was also confirmed by Gaza’s civil defence agency, which operates under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.
The latest deaths add to the growing toll in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire reached in October aimed at ending the more than two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Although large-scale fighting has eased, Israeli forces have continued carrying out airstrikes and opening fire near military-held zones, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting at least 850 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire began.
The ministry, which functions under the Hamas-led government, maintains casualty records regarded as generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts, though it does not distinguish between civilians and militants.
Israel says its operations are in response to militant attacks and ceasefire violations. Four Israeli soldiers have reportedly been killed since the truce came into effect.
With PTI inputs