The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the deportation of six activists on Thursday, including French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan, after their boat was intercepted while carrying humanitarian aid towards Gaza. Two activists remain in custody awaiting deportation, with accusations of mistreatment during detention.**
Six Activists Deported After Gaza Aid Boat Interception by Israel**
Six Activists Deported After Gaza Aid Boat Interception by Israel**
Six activists from the Madleen Freedom Flotilla are deported from Israel after being detained for over 72 hours following an attempt to breach the blockade of Gaza.**
Six activists from the Madleen Freedom Flotilla have been deported from Israel after being held for more than 72 hours following the interception of their boat, which sought to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the deportation, including that of French-Palestinian European parliament member Rima Hassan.
The activists were taken to Ben Gurion Airport for deportation after their boat was intercepted approximately 185 kilometers west of Gaza. Adalah, an Israeli human rights organization that provided legal assistance to the activists, reported that two others remain in custody and are facing deportation soon. Among those deported were Mark van Rennes from the Netherlands, Suayb Ordu from Turkey, Yasemin Acar from Germany, Thiago Avila from Brazil, and Reva Viard from France.
A post on social media by Rima Hassan reflected her relief at being released and invited supporters to meet in Paris. Adalah condemned their detention, claiming that the activists suffered mistreatment and were subjected to isolation, describing their continued detention as unlawful. The group initially consisted of twelve activists attempting to deliver supplies such as baby formula and medicine as a form of protest against the blockade.
The Israeli foreign ministry dismissed the mission as a “selfie yacht” operation, emphasizing that the activists’ actions undermined legitimate humanitarian efforts. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with ongoing reports of extreme hunger and devastation following Israel's military response to Hamas incidents. As Israel aims to regulate aid delivery through approved channels, international aid organizations express concern over the violation of humanitarian principles and the potential exacerbation of the ongoing crisis.
