Hundreds of international activists who attempted to deliver aid to Gaza by sea were awaiting deportation from Israel on Thursday, as governments worldwide condemned their treatment in detention.
Israeli forces seized more than 430 activists from countries across the globe after intercepting their flotilla in a bid to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory. The group had set sail from Turkey last week aboard around 50 vessels under the Global Sumud Flotilla banner.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir drew fierce criticism on Wednesday after posting video footage showing detained activists with their hands bound and their foreheads pressed to the ground. The video, captioned “Welcome to Israel”, showed the far-right minister heckling the detainees whilst waving an Israeli flag.
By Thursday, legal representatives confirmed the activists were being transferred to Ramon Airport in southern Israel for deportation. The legal centre Adalah said most participants had been held at Ktziot prison in the Negev Desert near Gaza before their transfer.
“The majority of the participants are being transferred to Ramon Airport to be flown out of the country,” Adalah said in a statement.
Allegations of violence
Adalah reported that one Israeli citizen among the flotilla participants faced a court hearing on Thursday on what the organisation described as “absurd” charges. The activist was accused of illegal entry into Israel, unlawful stay and attempting to break the Gaza blockade.
Suhad Bishara, Adalah’s legal director, told AFP on Wednesday that lawyers had provided counsel to many of the activists, though some appeared in court without legal representation.
“We know of at least two participants who were hospitalised. Both of them were shot by rubber bullets,” Bishara said. Other activists reported suspected broken ribs.
Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian journalist who was detained with the group and deported ahead of the others, described rough treatment upon arrival in Rome on Thursday.
“They beat us up. They kicked us and punched us and shouted ‘Welcome to Israel’,” he told reporters at Fiumicino airport. He said he and others had been “taken to Ben Gurion airport in handcuffs and with chains on our feet and put on a flight to Athens”.
Italian MP Dario Carotenuto, who was also detained and deported, said: “It was really tough. They called us by number, with rifles pointed at us. I think those were the longest seconds in my life.”
International condemnation
The video posted by Ben Gvir sparked condemnation from governments including Italy, Spain, Australia and Canada. He also faced criticism domestically from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, denounced what he called “despicable actions”.
Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on the Palestinian territories, called on her native Italy to take stronger action. “Words do not suffice. Let Italy stop opposing the suspension” of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, she wrote on X.
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Aid crisis continues
Israel has controlled all entry points into Gaza since imposing a blockade on the territory in 2007. Since the Israel-Hamas war began with the militant group’s attack on 7 October 2023, the vast majority of Gaza’s population has become dependent on aid and has been forcibly displaced at least once.
Whilst a fragile ceasefire took hold in the territory last year, Gaza continues to suffer severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies. Israel has at times halted aid deliveries entirely.
Israeli forces intercepted a previous flotilla attempt last month in international waters off Greece. Most activists were expelled to Europe, whilst two were brought to Israel, detained for several days and then deported.
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