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Gaza flotilla activists to be released from Israel detention and deported
Adalah said the men will be freed after more than a week in detention and handed to immigration authorities for deportation.
On Saturday, Israeli authorities released Spanish-Palestinian activist Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila from security detention, transferring them to immigration custody pending deportation in the coming days.
Israeli naval forces intercepted the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters on April 30, detaining the pair while human rights group Adalah reported 168 other members were released in Crete.
While Israel alleged the activists were affiliated with the Hamas-linked Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, lawyer Hadeel Abu Salih dismissed the claims as "baseless accusations," citing isolation and hunger strikes during detention.
The governments of Spain and Brazil condemned the detention as unlawful, arguing that Israel lacked jurisdiction because the activists were intercepted on a foreign vessel outside Israeli territorial waters.
This incident highlights recurring diplomatic friction surrounding the Gaza blockade, as human rights groups continue to challenge Israel's extraterritorial detention policies following the humanitarian mission's attempt to deliver aid.
He and Spanish-Palestinian Saif Abu Keshek, members of the last flotilla to Gaza, will be handed over to the migration authorities to be expelled, told NGO Adalah, who represents them