Israel deports two Gaza aid flotilla activists
Israel has deported two activists from the Gaza aid flotilla held at the end of April after completing investigations into them, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman posted on X on Sunday.The two activists, Spanish national Saif Abu Keschek and Brazilian Thiago Ávila, had been accused of provocation. Israel would not permit any violation of its legal sea blockade of the Gaza Strip, the ministry said.Abu Keschek and Ávila were taken to Israel more than a week ago in an action described as an "unlawful abduction" by the Adalah human rights organization, which represented them in court.Israel accused Abu Keschek, who is of Palestinian origin, of links to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and Spain demanded his immediate release. Ávila was accused of "illegal activities."The Israeli Navy intercepted more than 20 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters off Crete on April 30 and detained 175 people. Greece took in most of them and arranged their repatriation.A number of European Union countries expressed doubts about the legality of the interception in international waters under international law, but Israel insisted that the naval action had been legal.The organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said they aimed to regroup in the south-western Turkish port of Marmaris. It was not clear when the flotilla planned to make for the Gaza Strip from Marmaris.The pro-Palestinian activists had intended to make a renewed attempt to breach Israel's Gaza Strip blockade, which is supported by Egypt and has been in force since 2007, to take aid to the region.
