Madleen activists to be deported by Israelpublished at 13:41 British Summer Time
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent
The 12 pro-Palestinians activists detained after the Madleen was intercepted by Israeli forces on its way to Gaza will be deported to their home countries, according to the Israeli foreign ministry.
Among those on board is the Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, six French nationals including a French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament and citizens from Brazil, Spain and Turkey.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron requested that the French nationals aboard the boat “be allowed to return to France as soon as possible”, a presidential official said.
Turkey, meanwhile, condemned the interception as a “heinous attack” in international waters.
Israel had dismissed the mission of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition as a provocation, calling it a “selfie yacht”.
The group had planned to deliver a symbolic amount of supplies to Gaza, to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis there because of Israel’s restrictions on aid.
There was no surprise the boat was intercepted, as Israel had blocked similar efforts in the past.
