Israel deports Greta Thunberg after Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized

JERUSALEM AP Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday the country s Foreign Ministry noted a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military Thunberg left on a flight to France and was then headed to her home country of Sweden the Foreign Ministry stated in a post on X It posted a photo of Thunberg a surroundings activist who shuns air tour seated on a plane Thunberg was one of passengers on the Madleen a ship carrying aid to Gaza that was meant to protest Israel s ongoing war there and shed light on the humanitarian dilemma in the Palestinian territory according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition the group behind the journey Israeli naval forces seized the boat without matter early Monday about kilometers miles off of Gaza s coast according to the coalition which along with rights groups announced Israel s actions were a violation of international law Israel rejects that charge because it says such ships intend to breach what it argues is a lawful naval blockade of Gaza The boat accompanied by Israel s navy arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod Monday evening according to the Foreign Ministry Other activists face deportation The Freedom Flotilla Coalition disclosed three activists including Thunberg had been deported along with a journalist It announced it had encouraged specific of the group to do this so they could speak freely about their experiences Eight other passengers refused deportation and were being held in detention before their development is to be heard by Israeli agents Adalah a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists reported the eight were expected to be brought before a court later Tuesday Their detention is unlawful politically motivated and a direct violation of international law the coalition explained in a comment It called for the remaining passengers to be disclosed without deportation and commented their lawyers would demand that they be allowed to complete their journey to Gaza Sabine Haddad a spokeswoman for Israel s Interior Ministry stated the activists who were being deported Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge Those who did not will face one and will be held for hours before being deported she stated Rima Hassan a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent was also among the passengers on board the Madleen She has previously been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians It was not clear whether she was being promptly deported or detained French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France The other five refused He disclosed all the activists received consular visits Sergio Toribio a Spanish activist who was deported slammed Israel s actions after he arrived in Barcelona It is unforgivable it is a violation of our rights It is a pirate attack in international waters he informed reporters Questions over a breach of international law On Monday Adalah the rights group announced that Israel had no legal authority to take over the ship because the group stated it was in international waters and it was headed not to Israel but to the territorial waters of the state of Palestine The arrest of the unarmed activists who operated in a civilian manner to provide humanitarian aid amounts to a serious breach of international law Adalah announced in a announcement Amnesty International announced Israel was flouting international law with the naval raid and called on Israel to release the activists at once and unconditionally Israel commented its actions were consistent with international law Israel viewed the ship as a publicity stunt calling it the selfie yacht Israeli leaders noted that the flotilla was bringing meager aid with what amounted to less than a truckload of goods A longstanding blockade of Gaza Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza s Palestinian population During the -month-long war in Gaza Israel has restricted and sometimes blocked all aid into the territory including food fuel and medicine Experts say that procedures has pushed Gaza toward famine Israel says Hamas siphons off the aid to bolster its rule Hamas-led militants killed around people mostly civilians in the Oct attack that ignited the war and took hostages the greater part of whom have since been disclosed in ceasefire agreements or other deals Hamas is still holding hostages more than half of them presumed to be dead Israel s military campaign has killed more than Palestinians according to the Gaza Robustness Ministry which doesn t distinguish between civilians and combatants but has reported that women and children make up largest part of the dead The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around of the territory s population leaving people there almost fully dependent on international aid