Israel deports two Gaza aid flotilla activists

The pair was abducted by Israeli forces from the aid flotilla in late April and held in Israel.Israel has deported two foreign activists who had been abducted from a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were among dozens of activists sailing with the flotilla when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of the Greek island of Crete on April 30.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel extends detention of Gaza flotilla activists, lawyers saylist 2 of 4Released Flotilla activists describe‘torture’ in Israeli prisonlist 3 of 4Israeli settlers force Palestinian family to exhume and rebury their fatherlist 4 of 4One killed in Gaza as Turkish FM talks peace efforts with Hamas officialend of listThe pair were seized by Israeli forces and taken to Israel for questioning while others were taken to Crete and released.“Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, from the provocation flotilla, were deported today from Israel” on Sunday after an investigation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X.In a video shared on social media, Abu Keshek said he had arrived in Athens, Greece, and thanked his legal team.“I want to thank everyone who mobilised, our legal team Adalah, my family, my wife and children, my colleagues in the movement,” he said in the video shared by the Global Sumud Flotilla on X.Israel’s foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was suspected of affiliation with a “terrorist” organisation and Avila was suspected of illegal activity.Both denied the allegations, saying they were on a humanitarian mission for Gaza’s civilian population and their arrest in international waters was unlawful.Spain, Brazil and the United Nations all called for the men’s swift release.Appeal rejectedOn Wednesday, an Israeli court rejected an appeal contesting the pair’s detention, and the rights group representing them called the ruling “unlawful”.