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More than 400 Al-Samoud flotilla activists arrived in Turkey after being deported from Israel, where international criticism of their mistreatment in detention has escalated. European countries demand sanctions against the Israeli security minister after he published a controversial video.
The first batch of "Resilience Fleet" activists arrived in the Turkish capital of Istanbul, where hundreds of supporters gathered carrying Palestinian flags to receive them at the airport. The Turkish authorities transported 422 activists, including 85 Turkish citizens, by three private aircraft, while pictures showed that a number of them were injured, which required transporting them by ambulances. The testimonies of the deported activists revealed shocking details about the conditions of their detention, as the Canadian activist Safaa confirmed Al-Shababi said they spent two days in a temporary "military prison" made of containers and barbed wire. She pointed out that they were subjected to insults, sleep deprivation and rubber bullets, while some of them were taken to hospitals due to severe injuries. The publication of a video by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showing activists handcuffed and kneeling on their knees sparked an international outcry. Italy and Spain called on the European Union to impose sanctions on the minister, while The Spanish prime minister called the treatment of activists “unacceptable,” and Britain summoned the Israeli ambassador in protest at the video. The "Resilience Flotilla" is the third initiative this year to try to break the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, which has been witnessing a severe shortage of basic materials since the outbreak of the war in October 2023. Israeli authorities confirmed the deportation of all foreign activists, stressing that no breach is allowed The naval blockade imposed on the sector since 2007.
Source: Al-Wehda Al-Arabia News Portal
