137 activists deported from Israel after Gaza flotilla, flown to Istanbul

Some 137 activists detained by Israel for attempting to deliver aid to Gaza aboard a flotilla have been deported to Turkey, the Turkish foreign ministry confirmed on Saturday.

The group includes 36 Turkish nationals, alongside citizens from the United States, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia and Jordan, according to ministry sources. A Turkish Airlines flight carrying the activists was expected to land in Istanbul shortly after 3:40 p.m. local time (1240 GMT).

More than 450 activists detained

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 26 Italians were among those on board the flight, while another 15 Italians remain in Israel and are due to be expelled next week together with activists from other countries.

Israel’s military intercepted around 40 boats in the flotilla, detaining more than 450 participants in total, sparking widespread international criticism.

“I have once again instructed the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to ensure that our compatriots are treated with full respect for their rights,” Tajani said on X (formerly Twitter). A first group of Italians, including four parliamentarians, returned to Rome on Friday.

At a press conference in Rome, Italian MP Arturo Scotto, who was among the flotilla participants, condemned the interception:

“Those who were acting legally were the people aboard those boats; those who acted illegally were those who prevented them from reaching Gaza.”

Another Italian MP, Benedetta Scuderi, described the activists as having been “brutally stopped” and “brutally taken hostage.”

Reports of mistreatment

Israel’s foreign ministry insisted all detainees were “safe and in good health” and said it was working to complete deportations “as quickly as possible.”

However, Adalah, an Israeli legal rights group supporting flotilla participants, reported that some detainees were denied access to lawyers, water, medications, and toilets. The group also claimed activists were forced to kneel with their hands zip-tied for at least five hours after chanting “Free Palestine.”

Israeli officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Naval blockade challenge

The flotilla, which departed in late August, was the latest attempt by international activists to challenge Israel’s longstanding naval blockade of Gaza. Israeli authorities have repeatedly denounced such missions as provocations and warned against efforts to breach what they describe as a “lawful naval blockade.”

The incident comes amid ongoing war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to Hamas’s deadly attacks in October 2023.