Jerusalem: Three foreign activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship seized by Israel have agreed to be deported to their home countries, an Israeli legal centre said. Adalah Centre announced that Antonio Mazzeo of Italy, Gabrielle Cathala of France, and US activist Jacob Berger consented to immediate deportation.
According to TRTworld.com, the legal centre indicated that these activists will be deported from Israel within the coming hours. Meanwhile, fifteen other activists, including nationals from Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Norway, the UK, and the US, have refused to sign deportation orders. These individuals remain in Israeli custody pending a tribunal hearing.
Two dual US-Israeli nationals, Huwaida Arraf and Bob Suberi, were released after police interrogation and are currently with Adalah’s legal team. However, Adalah noted that it has not yet been able to meet with four other detainees: Ange Sahuquet of France, Dr. Frank Romano, a dual US-French citizen, and Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed El-Bakkali of Morocco, along with cameraman Waad Al Musa, a US-Iraqi citizen. The aid ship, launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), set sail from Italy in an effort to break a months-long Israeli siege, which has led to a rapidly spreading starvation crisis.
In recent months, Israel has intercepted multiple Gaza-bound aid ships in international waters. In June, Israeli forces seized the Madleen, detaining 12 international activists. A month earlier, the MV Conscience was attacked by drones near Malta. Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, blocking the entry of aid convoys and disregarding international calls to reopen them.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 133 people have died of starvation since October 2023, including 87 children. The Israeli military action has resulted in nearly 60,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, in the blockaded enclave. Furthermore, approximately 11,000 Palestinians are feared buried under the rubble of destroyed homes, as reported by Palestine’s official WAFA news agency. Experts suggest that the actual death toll could be significantly higher, estimating it might be around 200,000.
Over the course of the conflict, Israel has reduced most of the blockaded enclave to ruins, effectively displacing nearly all of its population. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.