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.
Elon Musk was not on the ballot in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, but he emerged as one of the biggest losers after Democrats swept to vic...
Uzbekistan has launched 145 investment projects worth $7.8 billion in its Bukhara region, aiming to create more than 14,000 jobs, boost industrial ...
Kazakhstan plans to manufacture 494 types of medicines through eight major investment projects worth a combined $862 million, Health Minister Akmar...
Democrat wins surged on Tuesday across the United States with stunning victories in the South Carolina, Texas and Ohio senate races -- traditionally Republican strongholds -- in the 3 November midterm elections.
From international reporting and investigative documentaries to global forums and digital innovation, AnewZ marks two years of connecting Azerbaijan and the wider world.
Democrats captured majorities in both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, scoring sweeping victories that reached into Republican strongholds, with millions of voters delivering a strong rebuke to President Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he claims to have reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the U.S. must act to prevent war after Tehran sent a “strong and rational response” to Washington. Meanwhile, U.S. forces have reportedly carried out limited strikes against Iranian targets, including Qeshm Island,
Elon Musk was not on the ballot in Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, but he emerged as one of the biggest losers after Democrats swept to victory, threatening his political influence and exposing his business empire to greater scrutiny.
Montenegro has moved a step closer to becoming the European Union's next member, with Brussels signalling that the Balkan country could join by 2028, ending more than a decade without EU enlargement.
Thousands of protesters, including students and artists, marched through Prague and other Czech cities on Tuesday as public television and radio workers staged a one-day strike over government plans to cut funding and bring the broadcasters under state budget control.
As oil prices surge amid conflict in the Gulf, energy leaders at ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi are confronting two major challenges: securing global supplies and meeting soaring electricity demand from artificial intelligence.
North Korea fired multiple missiles into the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's Defence Ministry said, in Pyongyang's fourth weapons launch in a month.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment