Israel releases all but two activists in Greece after intercepting Gaza aid flotilla
Key takeaways
- On Thursday, around 175 activists aboard 22 boats carrying aid were seized near the island of Crete.
- The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) denounced the action as "piracy", saying members were seized unlawfully more than 965km (600 miles) from Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade.
- All the detained activists have disembarked in Crete, apart from two men who are being brought to Israel "for questioning", according to the Israeli government.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Ella Kipling Global Sumud Flotilla/Handout via REUTERSVideo showed activists raising their hands on board one of the vessels intercepted by Israeli forces All but two pro-Palestinian activists detained by Israeli forces after their flotilla headed for Gaza was intercepted in international waters have now been released in Greece.
On Thursday, around 175 activists aboard 22 boats carrying aid were seized near the island of Crete.
The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) denounced the action as "piracy", saying members were seized unlawfully more than 965km (600 miles) from Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade. Israel's foreign ministry called the flotilla a "PR stunt".