Israel Deports 137 Activists Participating in the Global Freedom Flotilla to Turkey

SadaNews - This afternoon, Saturday, a plane is set to land at Istanbul Airport carrying a number of activists participating in the Global Freedom Flotilla, after being deported by the Israeli occupation authorities.

Turkish media reports indicated that the plane is expected to arrive in twenty minutes, carrying activists from various nationalities, including members of the Turkish parliament.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that the number of deported individuals reached 137 activists, noting that they hold American, Italian, British, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, Libyan, Algerian, Mauritanian, Malaysian, Bahraini, Turkish, Moroccan, Swiss, and Tunisian citizenship.

Sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry indicated that the plane designated to bring back the Turkish activists detained by Israel during the seizure of ships from the Global Freedom Flotilla in international waters is also expected to transport citizens from 12 other countries.

Ministry sources informed Anadolu on Saturday that the detained Turks in Israel will be transferred today by a private charter flight from Turkish Airlines.

They added that the private aircraft is also expected to transport nationals from 12 other countries: the United States, the UAE, Kuwait, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, Italy, Malaysia, and Switzerland.

Earlier on Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced that 36 of the Turkish citizens detained by Israel for their participation in the Global Freedom Flotilla are expected to return to their country this afternoon via a private flight.

This development comes after Israeli naval and marine commando forces intercepted more than 40 ships belonging to the "Global Freedom Flotilla" last Thursday that were heading to the Gaza Strip to break the blockade imposed on the area.

According to a statement from the flotilla organizers, Israeli forces attacked the ships with water cannons and sewage water, severed communications at sea, and subsequently detained hundreds of volunteers from 47 countries, forcibly transporting them to the port of Ashdod, where they were subjected to "voluntary" deportation or forced removal after being held on Israeli military vessels.

The flotilla organizers confirmed that what occurred constitutes a violation of international law and an assault on civilian volunteers who were carrying out a humanitarian mission to deliver aid to Gaza.