Athens: Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete disembarked on Friday in the Greek island, an AFP journalist saw.
Escorted by Greek coast guards, some 175 activists were taken in four buses to a town whose name was not disclosed by the authorities.
Israel’s foreign ministry earlier said around 175 activists had been taken off more than 20 boats on Thursday. Flotilla organizers put the number at 211.
“In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X late Thursday, thanking Greece “for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants.”
Several European governments with nationals among those arrested have called on Israel to free the activists and called its action a flagrant contravention of international law.
But the United States backed Israeli authorities, called the flotilla a “stunt.”
“The United States expects all our allies...to take decisive action against this meaningless political stunt by denying port access, docking, departure and refueling to vessels participating in the flotilla,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
Initially made up of more than 50 boats, the flotilla’s aim, according to the organizers, was to break the blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory, whose access remains largely restricted despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas, in force since October.
Israeli authorities taking 2 activists who led a Gaza-bound flotilla to Israel for questioning
Israeli authorities say they are taking two activists who led an aid flotilla bound for Gaza — and who 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 Ávila, 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. The incident occurred hundreds of miles (kilometers) from Gaza and Israel overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.
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 Ávila was “suspected of illegal activity,” without providing evidence.
- With AFP and AP
