2 Gaza flotilla activists to be questioned in Israel
Israeli authorities have said they are taking two activists who led an aid flotilla bound for Gaza — and were captured by Israel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea — to Israel for questioning.
The activists, Palestinian-Spanish citizen Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Avila, were among dozens of activists intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of Crete.
They are members the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee, whose mission was to break Israel’s naval blockade and bring some humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. In all, some 20 boats and 175 activists were intercepted by the Israeli navy.
Activists said Israeli forces stormed their vessels, smashed engines and detained some of those onboard. Israeli officials said they needed to take early action against the flotilla before it reached Israeli waters because of the high number of boats involved.
On Friday the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X that it was taking the two activists to Israel for questioning, and that Abukeshek was “suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization” and Avila was “suspected of illegal activity,” without providing evidence.
The Global Sumud Flotilla appealed for international support. “We demand that all governments do all they can to pressure the Israeli regime to release all the illegal abductees,” the group said.
The rest of the flotilla participants were released in Crete late Thursday. Of the 53 vessels that had been sailing prior to the interception, 31 reached safe waters and would continue their attempts to “break the illegal siege of Gaza,” organisers said. The flotilla set sail earlier this month from Barcelona, Spain. Organisers have said more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world would be participating, with more vessels joining the original boats as the flotilla sailed east across the Mediterranean.
