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Greek authorities said activists from the “Global Sumud Flotilla,” who were brought to Crete earlier Friday after Israeli forces intercepted their vessels in international waters, are being transferred to Iraklio airport for repatriation procedures. About 30 injured participants were taken to Sitia Hospital for medical treatment.The activists were ‌part of a second Global Sumud flotilla, launched in recent months in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance. The ships set sail from the Spanish port of Barcelona on April 12.On Friday, an Israeli army ship transferred 168 members of the ​flotilla crew to Greek boats, which then took them to shore where buses and an ambulance waited for them, organizers ​said and Reuters footage showed.Israel’s foreign ministry called the flotilla organizers “professional provocateurs”.
Two activist held
The organizers ⁠said two activists remained with Israeli authorities.
Spain’s foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said 30 Spaniards had arrived in Crete but ​one Spanish national, Saif Abu Keshek, had been “illegally” arrested and was being taken to Israel.“We demand his immediate release,” ​he said.Israel’s foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organisation and, along with a second activist suspected of illegal activity, would be taken to Israel for questioning.“Israel will not allow the breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza,” the ​foreign ministry said.Germany and Italy’s foreign ministries issued a joint statement saying they were following developments with “deep concern”.A source ​who asked not to be identified said that while 22 boats had been intercepted by Israel, 47 others were still sailing off ‌southern Crete ⁠and planned to anchor there at some point before continuing onwards to Gaza. Each ship is carrying about a ton of food, medical and other equipment, the source said.The 22 vessels were seized by Israel late on Wednesday in international waters off Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, which is hundreds of miles from Gaza, the flotilla’s organizers said.In a statement on ​Thursday, the US State Department ​threatened “to impose consequences” against ⁠those who support the flotilla, which it cast as pro-Hamas.Pro-Palestinian activists say Israel and the US wrongly conflate their advocacy for Palestinian rights as support for Hamas extremists.Last October ​Israel’s military halted a previous flotilla assembled by the same organisation, arresting Swedish activist Greta ​Thunberg and more ⁠than 450 participants. That followed other seaborne attempts to reach blockaded Gaza.Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching Gaza are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October that included guarantees of increased aid.Most of Gaza’s more than 2 million ⁠people have ​been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on ​open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings.Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its residents.