Israel Deports Two Activists Detained Aboard Gaza Aid Flotilla
Israel has deported two foreign activists who were detained by its navy after attempting to reach Gaza on board an aid flotilla, the BBC reported. The pair were placed on commercial flights out of Israel, while the broader group of detained activists remains in custody pending court appearances.
Israel has deported two foreign activists who were among a group detained by the Israeli navy after attempting to reach Gaza aboard an international aid flotilla, the BBC said. Israeli authorities placed the pair on commercial flights leaving Tel Aviv and said they had signed deportation orders rather than contest their detention before an Israeli court. The remaining activists, who include citizens of several European countries, are still in custody.
The flotilla, organised by a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups, set sail from a Mediterranean port to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza, where humanitarian agencies have warned of severe shortages of food and medicine since the renewed escalation. Israeli officials say the maritime blockade applied to Gaza is a security measure and accuse the flotilla organisers of seeking to provoke confrontation. The boats were intercepted in international waters before being towed to Ashdod port.
Families of the still-detained activists, supported by their home-country embassies, are seeking consular access and legal representation in Israeli courts. Aid agencies including the World Food Programme have said the most effective route to scale up aid in Gaza remains through Israeli-controlled overland crossings. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is expected to publish an updated humanitarian assessment within days.
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