Israeli authorities expelled two humanitarian activists on Sunday following their detention for more than a week after leading an aid convoy that attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade around Gaza.
The expelled activists were identified as Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish-Swedish national of Palestinian heritage, and Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian citizen. Both individuals served on the leadership board of the Global Sumud Flotilla, an organization working to challenge Israel’s maritime blockade while delivering humanitarian supplies to Palestinian territories.
In a Sunday statement posted to X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry labeled the pair as “professional provocateurs,” declaring that “Israel will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
When initially apprehended, Israeli officials stated the duo was being held for interrogation, with Abukeshek “suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization” and Ávila “suspected of illegal activity,” though no supporting evidence was presented. No official charges have been made public.
The governments of Spain and Brazil jointly denounced what they termed “the kidnapping of two of their citizens in international waters by the Government of Israel” when the detention occurred. The incident prompted solidarity demonstrations across multiple nations.
Israeli naval forces intercepted a total of 22 vessels carrying 175 activists. According to the activists, Israeli military personnel boarded their ships, destroyed engines, and arrested several participants. The confrontation took place several hundred miles from both Gaza and Israel during the overnight hours between Wednesday and Thursday.
Israeli representatives justified their preemptive action against the flotilla, citing the substantial number of vessels involved as requiring intervention before they could enter Israeli territorial waters.
This flotilla mission represents the group’s second attempt to reach Gaza in under a year, following Israeli authorities’ successful prevention of an earlier effort. The previous operation included approximately 50 ships and 500 activists, featuring notable participants such as Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, Mandla Mandela (Nelson Mandela’s grandson), and various elected officials.
Israel had previously arrested, detained, and deported those participants, including Ávila, who alleged mistreatment during custody. Israeli authorities rejected these allegations.
Meanwhile in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle, resulting in at least two fatalities including a Hamas police official, according to Nasser hospital records.
The attack occurred late Sunday morning in the Al-Amal district of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, according to civil defense officials operating under the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry.
Among those killed was Col. Wessam Abdel-Hadi, who directed the police investigation unit in Khan Younis, hospital officials confirmed.
Israeli military officials stated they were examining the incident.
These deaths add to the Palestinian casualties in the coastal territory since a fragile ceasefire agreement in October aimed to end more than two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Although major combat operations have decreased, the unstable truce has witnessed nearly daily Israeli military action.
Israeli forces have conducted numerous airstrikes and routinely opened fire on Palestinians approaching military-controlled areas, resulting in at least 850 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The ministry, operating under Hamas governance, keeps comprehensive casualty documentation that UN agencies and independent analysts generally consider credible. However, it does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.
Armed groups have conducted attacks against Israeli troops, with Israel claiming its strikes respond to these incidents and other ceasefire violations. Four Israeli soldiers have died since the ceasefire began.
