Israel to free two Gaza flotilla activists before deportation, rights group says

TEL AVIV: Israel is set to release two foreign activists detained after the interception of a Gaza-bound flotilla and transfer them to immigration authorities ahead of deportation, the legal rights group representing them said on Saturday.

According to Adalah, the two men are Thiago Avila of Brazil and Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin. Both were among dozens of activists aboard a flotilla intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters off the coast of Greece on April 30.

Today, the Shabak Israeli intelligence agency informed Adalah’s legal team that Global Sumud Flotilla activists and leaders Thiago Avila and Saif Abukeshek would be released from Israeli detention today, Saturday.

Adalah said in a statement that the pair would then be transferred to Israeli immigration authorities and remain in custody while deportation arrangements are completed.

They will be handed to Israel’s immigration authorities later today and kept in custody pending their deportation.

The group said it was following the case closely to ensure the release takes place and that the two men are deported from Israel in the coming days.

Detention and legal proceedings

Avila and Abu Keshek were taken by Israeli forces to Israel for questioning after the flotilla was stopped, while the remaining activists were taken to the Greek island of Crete and later released.

On Tuesday, an Israeli court extended their detention until Sunday to give police additional time for questioning, according to their lawyers. The lawyers challenged the continued detention, but a district court rejected the appeal on Wednesday.

Spain, Brazil and the United Nations had all called for the men to be released quickly.

Adalah said on Saturday that Avila and Abu Keshek had been held unlawfully for more than a week after being taken into Israeli custody.

Throughout their detention, they were held in total isolation under punitive conditions despite the purely civilian nature of their mission.

the group said.

Adalah also said both men had been on hunger strike during their detention, adding that Abu Keshek had intensified his protest by refusing water on the evening of May 5.

Israeli authorities have previously denied allegations of abuse. No charges have been filed against either man.

Accusations and flotilla mission

Adalah had earlier said the authorities accused the two activists of assisting the enemy during wartime and membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation.

Israel says both men were linked to the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, or PCPA, which Washington has accused of clandestinely acting on behalf of Hamas.

The flotilla departed from France, Spain and Italy with the stated aim of challenging Israel’s blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory, which has been devastated by war.

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.