Almost all activists detained aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla will be deported to Greece, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday morning, thanking the Greek government for allowing the move.
A total of 175 activists were detained by the Israel Navy on Wednesday, including a reported 31 Spanish citizens and several New Yorkers.
However, two of the activists, Saif Abu Keshek, suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization, and Thiago Ávila, suspected of illegal activity, will be brought to Israel for questioning.
It further affirmed that all humanitarian activity in the Gaza Strip is being managed by the Gazan Board of Peace, calling GSF a “Hamas-led flotilla” that is nothing more than “another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas’s refusal to disarm, and to serve the PR interests of professional provocateurs.”
“Israel will not allow the breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
The Trump administration used a similar sentiment when condemning GSF in a Thursday statement from the State Department, naming the flotilla a “pro-Hamas initiative and a baseless, counterproductive effort to undermine President Trump’s Peace Plan.”
The State Department explained that GSF was organized by the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, specially designated as a terrorist organization in January for operating at Hamas’s behest, and that its founder has in the past “publicly expressed support for the Iranian regime and its terror proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.”
Further, the State Department urged its allies and those participating in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace deal to take action against “this meaningless political stunt by denying port access, docking, departure, and refueling to vessels participating in the flotilla.”
Allies should also “deny[ing] berthing to vessels reasonably suspected of enabling terrorism or presenting security concerns.”
It slammed GSF for abusing “mechanisms designed to ensure humanitarian assistance is received by civilians.”“The United States will explore using available tools to impose consequences on those who provide support to this pro-Hamas flotilla and support our allies’ legal actions against it,” the US concluded. “The flotilla has nothing to do with humanitarian aid or the welfare of Gazans.”
Source:
www.jpost.com
