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Israel said connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) it had deported each the overseas activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, pursuing planetary outcry implicit their attraction successful custody.
Around 430 activists from countries astir the satellite had been placed successful detention successful Israel aft they were intercepted astatine oversea connected Monday (May 18, 2026) portion making the latest successful a drawstring of attempts to interruption the blockade of the Palestinian territory.
Activists from the Gaza-bound Flotilla ship, detained by Israeli forces aft their vessels were intercepted successful planetary waters successful the Mediterranean, upon accomplishment astatine Istanbul Airport, Türkiye, connected May 21, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked wide condemnation and diplomatic backlash connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) by posting a video showing the detained activists with their hands tied and foreheads connected the ground.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oren Marmorstein, said connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) “Israel volition not licence immoderate breach of the lawful naval blockade connected Gaza,” helium added.
The ineligible centre representing the flotilla members said earlier connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) that the bulk were “en way for deportation” from Ramon Airport successful Israel’s acold south.
Adalah said that the activists had been held astatine Israel’s Ktziot prison, successful the Negev Desert adjacent Gaza.
Türkiye had announced it was sending charter flights to Israel to repatriate Turkish citizens and participants from 3rd countries.
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources aboriginal confirmed that “a full of 422 flotilla participants, 85 of whom are our citizens, are being brought to our state connected peculiar charter flights.”
A spokesperson for Adalah said activists from Egypt had been transferred to Taba astatine Egypt’s borderline with Israel, portion those from Jordan had been transferred to Aqaba.
‘They kicked us’
Adalah’s ineligible manager Suhad Bishara told AFP connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) that the group’s lawyers had been capable to springiness ineligible counsel to “many” of the hundreds of activists, though she added that others had faced tribunal hearings without ineligible assistance.
“We cognize of astatine slightest 2 participants who were hospitalised... some of them were changeable by rubber bullets,” Bishara said, adding that others said they feared they had breached ribs.
Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian writer detained with the flotilla activists and deported earlier the others, told reporters astatine Rome’s Fiumicino airdrome connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) that helium and others had been “taken to Ben Gurion airdrome successful handcuffs and with chains connected our feet and enactment connected a formation to Athens”.
“They bushed america up. They kicked america and punched america and shouted ‘Welcome to Israel’,” helium said of his attraction by Israeli information forces.
Israel controls each introduction points into Gaza, nether blockade since 2007.
