Israeli authorities have transferred two activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla to Israel for questioning following a naval interdiction in the Mediterranean Sea. The detainees, identified as Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila and Palestinian-Spanish activist Saif Abukeshek, were among 175 people detained by the Israeli navy off the coast of the Greek island of Crete on Thursday.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced Sunday morning that while the majority of the detained activists will disembark in Greece, Abukeshek and Ávila will remain in Israeli custody. According to the ministry, Abukeshek is suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization, and Ávila is suspected of illegal activity.
The Global Sumud Flotilla had set out to deliver aid to Gaza, with the mission including the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise, which joined the flotilla on April 18. The mission sought to denounce the treatment of detainees and bring humanitarian supplies to the region.
The transfers have prompted immediate diplomatic reactions. The governments of Spain and Brazil have accused Israel of kidnapping
their citizens.
The remaining activists from the flotilla are expected to be released in Greece, as the Israeli military concludes its processing of the group. The Israeli government has not yet specified the charges to be brought against Abukeshek and Ávila or the expected duration of their detention.
