All Gaza flotilla activists released from Israeli prison

All activists detained from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla and Freedom Flotilla Coalition have been freed from Israel’s Ktziot prison and are set to be deported, the Israeli rights group Adalah announced Thursday. In a statement, Adalah said it had received “official confirmation” from the Israeli Prison Service and state officials that all detainees had been released from the facility.

Transfer for deportation

“The majority of the participants are being transferred to Ramon Airport to be flown out of the country,” the group said. Adalah added that its legal team is “actively monitoring the transit process to ensure that all activists are safely and fully deported without further delay.” The release follows international outrage over a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting zip-tied activists after their detention in international waters earlier this week.

International response

Ten countries, including seven European nations, had summoned Israeli envoys to protest the mistreatment of the activists. The flotilla, carrying 428 people from 44 countries, departed from Marmaris, Türkiye, to break Israel’s 2007 blockade on Gaza.