Flotilla Activists At Ben-Gurion Airport, Prepare To Depart Israel
Early Tuesday morning, the activists involved in the Gaza-bound protest flotilla were escorted to Ben Gurion Airport for deportation. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, several participants were scheduled to be expelled from the country within hours.
The ministry stated, “Anyone who refuses to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial body in accordance with Israeli law, in order to approve the deportation.”
The German ambassador to Israel confirmed that a diplomatic official had met with German citizen Yasemin Acar prior to her removal from the country. Acar has previously drawn criticism for her vocal support of Hamas and her praise of Iranian missile strikes on Israel, according to a report by KAN.
Upon their arrival at the Ashdod Port on Monday, Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg and the other flotilla participants were shown video evidence of the Hamas massacre that took place on October 7. The IDF had intercepted their vessel, the Madleen, while it was still in international waters.
Defense Minister Israel Katz noted that the activists chose not to continue watching the footage after the initial scenes.
“These antisemitic flotilla activists closed their eyes to the truth and once again proved they prefer the murderers over the victims,” Katz said. “They continue to ignore the atrocities committed by Hamas against Jewish and Israeli women, the elderly, and children.”
The Madleen, which had 12 pro-Palestinian activists on board along with a substantial cargo of humanitarian supplies, was intercepted by the Israeli Navy early Monday and redirected to Ashdod. As the activists prepared for deportation, the Foreign Ministry released a photo of Thunberg with an Israeli flag in the background.
Among the passengers were European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who has publicly defended the October 7 massacre; German activist Yasmin Achar; Irish actor Liam Cunningham, best known for his role in Game of Thrones; and Thunberg.
The mission was organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and set sail last week from Catania, Sicily. The stated goal of the activists was to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza by bringing in humanitarian supplies such as medical goods, flour, rice, diapers, water purification equipment, and prosthetics for children.
During the voyage, the ship briefly changed course to assist four migrants stranded at sea in the Mediterranean.
By Sunday, the Madleen was reported to be approximately 402 kilometers from Gaza, positioned in international waters to the north of Alexandria. The Israeli military had been monitoring the vessel and was ready to intervene before it could enter Israeli waters. Defense officials stressed that the operation would be handled with caution to avoid provoking a larger confrontation.
Ahead of the interception, Defense Minister Katz made clear that Israel would not permit the boat to reach its destination. After reports surfaced that the ship’s communication system had gone dark in Egyptian waters, the IDF moved in to seize control.
“The State of Israel will not allow anyone to violate the maritime blockade on Gaza, whose primary goal is to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas—a murderous terrorist organization that holds our hostages and commits war crimes,” Katz said.
He added, “I instructed the IDF to ensure the Madleen does not reach Gaza,” and addressed Thunberg directly: “To Greta the antisemite and her Hamas propagandist friends—I say clearly: you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or support terror organizations—by sea, air, or land.”
The flotilla’s mission gained widespread attention on social media, with organizers promoting it as part of a global campaign to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Thunberg said: “We hope to reach Gaza tomorrow or the next day. We are carrying humanitarian aid and will do our utmost to get through. We will try to break the blockade and open humanitarian corridors into Gaza. We need a ceasefire. We will keep our promises to the Palestinians and stand against Israel’s crimes.”
German activist Yasmin Achar also spoke to Al Arabiya, stating that their vessel was 160 nautical miles from Gaza and that they had no intention of backing down. “We are in international waters. Any attempt by ‘the occupation’ to stop us will be considered a documented war crime,” she said.
Achar added, “We bring a humanitarian and moral message. The world must be ashamed. The arming of Israel must stop. Our message to the world is not to remain silent and to act in support of Gaza’s civilians.”
This attempt follows a similar mission in May, when a different vessel belonging to the coalition, the Conscience, was reportedly damaged by a drone strike off the coast of Malta. This time, the organizers launched the ship from a new location and followed a more cautious route to avoid interference.
Israel’s defense establishment has made it clear that it will not allow any vessel to break the naval blockade on Gaza. Military officials remain on alert for future efforts and aim to prevent any escalation while maintaining control over the maritime perimeter.
Meanwhile, a separate initiative titled the Global March to Gaza is in the works, with organizers planning an overland rally through Egypt in the coming days.
{Matzav.com Israel}