Activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla detained by Israel at sea have been released from prison and are expected to be deported to Türkiye, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The group was detained at a port in southern Israel after the Israeli navy intercepted their flotilla in international waters. Organisers said the mission aimed to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian aid, which they argue remains insufficient despite a ceasefire brokered in October 2025.
Previous flotilla attempts have also been intercepted by Israel, including one involving Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, with participants later deported.
According to the Israeli rights organisation Adalah, around 430 activists have now been released from detention facilities in southern Israel and will be flown out via Ramon Airport near Eilat.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said special flights were being arranged to bring Turkish nationals, along with participants from other countries, back to Türkiye. Spanish officials also confirmed that dozens of Spanish citizens were expected to leave Israel later in the day.
The activists’ treatment has prompted international criticism after videos shared by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appeared to show detainees being restrained and mocked. In one clip, an activist chanting “Free, free Palestine” is seen being forced to the ground, while others appear kneeling with their hands bound.
Transport Minister Miri Regev also posted footage from Ashdod port, describing the activists as supporters of terrorism who had attempted to breach the blockade of Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Ben-Gvir’s conduct did not reflect Israel’s values, while U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said it had “undermined the dignity” of the country.
The incident has prompted several countries, including France, Canada, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, to summon Israeli ambassadors for explanations.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that, regardless of views on the flotilla, those involved should be treated with respect and released without delay.
Canada and Spain have previously imposed sanctions on Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinians.
The controversy comes amid heightened political tension in Israel, with the government moving closer to a possible snap election after an initial parliamentary vote to dissolve the Knesset.
Analysts say any upcoming election could be heavily shaped by public sentiment following the aftermath of the October 2023 Hamas attacks and the subsequent military campaign in Gaza.
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become...
Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) 2026 has begun in Azerbaijan’s capital, bringing together government representatives, business leaders, inves...
Pakistan faces a fresh test over preferential access to one of its biggest export markets as the European Union introduces a new GSP+ framework fro...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A battle over the future of the European Union’s diplomatic service is deepening divisions over who controls the bloc’s foreign policy, as EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas pushes back against plans to overhaul her service.
The Strait of Hormuz is moving into a more complicated stage of the U.S.-Iran war. Tehran says it will establish a new restricted maritime zone around the waterway, while Iran and Oman are preparing to formalise a separate shipping route intended to restore at least part of commercial traffic.
The European Union is preparing to boost investment in Greenland, as Brussels moves to deepen political and economic ties with the Arctic territory amid growing strategic competition involving the U.S., Russia and China.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said a newly commissioned destroyer will become part of the country's nuclear response system, capable of delivering what he described as “annihilating retaliatory strikes”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment