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Politics
May 10, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

Israel Deported Two Activists Abducted from Gaza Aid Flotilla

AI Summary
Israel has deported two foreign activists, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, who were abducted from a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters. The pair were seized by Israeli forces and taken to Israel for questioning.

The Abduction and Deportation

Israel has deported two foreign activists who had been abducted from a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were among dozens of activists sailing with the flotilla when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of the Greek island of Crete on April 30.

The Investigation and Allegations

The pair were seized by Israeli forces and taken to Israel for questioning while others were taken to Crete and released. Israel's foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was suspected of affiliation with a 'terrorist' organisation and Avila was suspected of illegal activity.

Both denied the allegations, saying they were on a humanitarian mission for Gaza's civilian population and their arrest in international waters was unlawful.

The International Response

Spain, Brazil and the United Nations all called for the men's swift release. On Wednesday, an Israeli court rejected an appeal contesting the pair's detention, and the rights group representing them called the ruling 'unlawful'.

The Flotilla's Mission

The Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Throughout Israel's genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, which started in October 2023, there have been shortages of critical supplies in the territory.