Israel is getting ready to deport Greta Thunberg, other boat activists

London: The Israeli foreign ministry said that activists aboard the Gaza-bound aid boat ‘may be permitted to fly out of Tel Aviv as early as tonight’.

Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and other activists were bringing aboard the Madleen a ‘symbolic amount’ of food and supplies for Gaza, leaving Italy on 1 June, The Guardian reported.

Israeli naval forces intercepted the Gaza-bound boat on Monday and took them into custody.

Israel called the boat as ‘ selfie Yatch’ with the Israeli foreign ministry later acknowledging that the passengers had arrived at Ben Gurion airport for deportation from Israel.

However, the ministry made it clear that ‘Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority’.

Meanwhile the group, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), reportedly said that all 12 passengers in the boat are getting processed and ‘transferred into the custody of Israeli authorities’.

The group earlier released a video showing them with their hands up just as Israeli forces boarded the boat.

Israeli naval forces intercepted the boat about 185km west of the coast of Gaza.

Before being deported, the activists are likely to be taken to a detention centre, according to Israeli NGO Adalah that supports with Arab minority in Israel with legal help.

While Turkey called the boat’s interception a ‘heinous attack’, Iran came down on the Israel’s action terming it ‘a form of piracy’.

When another Freedom Flotilla ship heading to Gaza got damaged off Malta in May, activists suspected Israeli involvement using drone.

Israel is facing pressure to allow more aid into Gaza in the midst of reports pointing to severe shortage of food and basic supplies.