Amman (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Tuesday, Jordan’s official news agency announced that Israel deported 131 Gaza flotilla activists to Jordan through the Allenby Bridge crossing.
Moreover, a day earlier, Israel already deported Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 170 other pro-Palestinian activists who were arrested after Israeli forces intercepted a Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to break its naval blockade of Gaza to deliver aid last week.
Thunberg lifted her fist while being handed flowers and greeted by dozens of supporters at Athens airport. The Israeli foreign minister stated that the activists were flown to Greece and Slovakia, including citizens from Greece, Slovakia, France, Italy, Britain, and the US.
How did Israeli forces intercept the Global Sumud flotilla?
A few days ago, Israeli forces boarded and took control of several ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla, an effort aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. This mission drew global attention as one of the largest naval aid efforts to the Palestinian enclave.
The Global Sumud Flotilla included more than 40 civilian boats carrying nearly 500 parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists carrying food and medicine to Gaza. As stated by organisers of the flotilla, Israeli naval forces intercepted the ships approximately 70 nautical miles from the Gaza coastline and disrupted initiatives to communicate while jamming signals as it was approaching the blockade.
How have activists described their treatment during detention?
International activists, journalists, and lawyers deported from Israel have also claimed they suffered brutal physical and verbal abuse from Israeli forces during detention.
The alleged abuses involved sleep and medication deprivation, beatings, threats with automatic rifles, dogs attacking them, sleeping on the floor, insults, and being forced to watch footage of Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
What justification did Israel give for seizing the flotilla?
Israel explained its interception of the Gaza flotilla by saying it was enforcing a legal naval blockade on Gaza that has existed since 2009 for security reasons, in order to stop weapons from being smuggled to Hamas.
Israel provided a notice to the flotilla ahead of time, warning them that any aid to be sent to Gaza had to be sent through established and safe channels, and that approaching the blockade would violate the law.
