Six of eight activists aboard the Madleen, a yacht intercepted en route to Gaza, have been deported from Israel, the Israeli foreign ministry confirmed. The remaining two are slated for deportation on Friday.
Israeli human rights group Adalah reported the activists’ transfer to Ben Gurion Airport following over 72 hours in custody, characterizing the interception in international waters as unlawful. Adalah, providing legal counsel, noted the detainees faced mistreatment and punitive measures, including solitary confinement.
Among those deported Thursday was Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament. The Israeli foreign ministry’s X post, featuring images of the activists boarding a plane, sarcastically wished them farewell.
Other deportees included Mark van Rennes (Netherlands), Suayb Ordu (Turkey), Yasemin Acar (Germany), Thiago Avila (Brazil), and Reva Viard (France). Pascal Maurieras and Yanis Mhamdi, both French, remain in custody at Givon prison.
Adalah condemned the detentions and deportations as unlawful violations of international law, demanding the immediate release of the remaining activists and their safe return home. The ministry previously stated that those refusing deportation would face legal proceedings.
The Madleen, carrying a “symbolic” aid shipment, was intercepted approximately 185km west of Gaza. The Israeli foreign ministry dismissed the aid as minimal, referring to the vessel as a “selfie yacht.” Four other activists, including Greta Thunberg, were previously deported.
Upon her arrival in France, Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping the activists in international waters. Israel maintains that unauthorized attempts to breach its Gaza blockade are unlawful and undermine humanitarian efforts. The aid aboard the Madleen will be channeled through existing humanitarian routes, the ministry stated.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza, imposed after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, has severely impacted the territory’s 2.1 million residents, resulting in widespread food shortages. While partially eased, the blockade and the ongoing conflict continue to cause a dire humanitarian crisis, with the UN and other aid groups expressing concern over Israel’s new aid distribution system.
The conflict, triggered by the Hamas attack resulting in over 1,200 Israeli deaths, has claimed at least 55,207 lives in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures. The situation continues to unfold with significant humanitarian and geopolitical implications.
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The activists’ yacht, which was trying to carry aid to Gaza, was intercepted by Israeli forces in the early hours of Monday.