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Israel Releases Two Gaza Flotilla Activists After Prolonged Detention
(MENAFN) Israel on Sunday released and deported two members of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla — Brazilian national Thiago de Avila and Spanish-Palestinian activist Saif Abukeshek — ending a detention period that had been extended twice by Israeli courts.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the pair's freedom on X, stating their release came "after their investigation was completed."
The two activists were among those aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla when Israeli forces intercepted the convoy on April 30 in international waters near the Greek island of Crete — approximately 600 nautical miles short of its intended destination, the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid, had embarked in stages: its lead vessels departed Barcelona on April 12, with the primary fleet setting off from Sicily, Italy, on April 26, in a deliberate bid to challenge Israel's longstanding naval blockade of Gaza.
That blockade, now in its 18th year since being imposed in 2007, has left Gaza's 2.4 million residents teetering on the edge of famine, with aid organizations warning of catastrophic food shortages across the enclave.
The humanitarian crisis has been dramatically compounded by an Israeli military offensive launched in October 2023 — now entering its second year — which has claimed the lives of more than 72,000 Palestinians, left over 172,000 wounded, and reduced vast stretches of the territory to rubble.
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