Newsletters
An Israeli court has ordered eight humanitarian activists from the Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen to remain in detention until their deportation, following what legal advocates describe as an "illegal" seizure in international waters.
The Givon detention facility immigration court in Ramle issued the detention order late yesterday, with Israeli legal organization Adalah condemning the decision as unlawful. The court scheduled a new hearing for July 8 if the activists are not deported before then.
Adalah emphasized that Israel's forcible seizure of the vessel and detention of 12 individuals constitutes a "violation of fundamental rights under international law."
The organization stressed that the activists were not attempting to enter Israel but were following a planned route from Sicily through international waters directly to Gaza, which they consider Palestinian state territorial waters.
The eight detained activists who refused to sign deportation documents include:
French activist Baptiste Andre, one of four activists deported yesterday, detailed the mistreatment by Israeli authorities at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport following his deportation.
Andre reported being taken to Israel's Ashdod Port after the ship's interception, where they were met by "a committee of 200 soldiers" and subjected to multiple searches. He described difficult conditions at the immigration facility, including limited access to water and food.
"When Greta Thunberg fell asleep, immigration authorities came to wake her up. When one of us fell asleep, music was played at full volume and officials danced in front of us," Andre said.
"We had difficulty accessing water and food. It took more than three hours to get a piece of bread, and of course, we had no access to toilets."
Andre claimed that activists who refused to sign deportation documents faced threats from Israeli officials. He specifically mentioned Member of Parliament Rima Hassan, stating: "I heard a police officer directly threaten her, saying, 'If you don't sign, I'll smash your head against the wall, and we'll handle this our own way.'"
The French activist explained he signed the deportation documents for personal and family reasons and to bear witness to what happened. He emphasized that the documents' content was "completely false" despite being presented by various consulates, including the French consulate.
The immigration court's decision defended the Gaza naval blockade as legal under Israeli law, claiming the volunteers knowingly attempted to violate it. However, Adalah lawyers argue that the activists should either be allowed to continue their humanitarian mission to Gaza aboard the Madleen or be safely returned to their countries.
The Madleen, an 18-meter vessel, departed from San Giovanni Li Cuti Port in Catania, Italy, on June 1 as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's mission to break the Gaza blockade and deliver humanitarian aid.
The activists had announced they would maintain a peaceful stance and offer no resistance if intercepted by Israeli forces.
Recently, the Israeli forces intercepted the vessel in international waters. Among the 12 activists were climate activist Greta Thunberg and journalist Omar Faiad from Sweden and Sergio Toribio from Spain. Thunberg was among the four deported on June 10.
The seizure marks another chapter in ongoing international efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza despite Israel's naval blockade, raising questions about maritime law and humanitarian access to the besieged territory.
2 min read
