137 Gaza flotilla activists deported to Turkey; Israel says several countries showing ‘reluctance to accept flights’

Another 137 activists from the flotilla that attempted to break the Israeli maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip have been deported to Turkey, Israel’s Foreign Ministry says.

They include citizens from the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Malaysia, Bahrain, Morocco, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Turkey. Sources in Turkey’s Foreign Ministry tell Reuters that 36 are Turkish nationals.

The activists were sent to Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight this afternoon from Ramon Airport in southern Israel.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry says “these individuals, who arrived under the guise of ‘humanitarian aid,’ made it clear — through their actions, their rejection of all proposals by Israel, Italy, and Greece to peacefully transfer the aid, and the small quantity of aid they actually carried on their boats — that their true goal was provocation in the service of Hamas, not humanitarian assistance.”

The ministry says, “Israel seeks to expedite the deportation of all provocateurs. However, some of them are deliberately obstructing the legal deportation process, preferring instead to linger in Israel.”

“At the same time, several foreign governments have shown reluctance to accept flights that would return these provocateurs,” the ministry says, adding that “nevertheless, all participants in this publicity stunt will be deported as swiftly as possible.”

On Friday, four Italian nationals detained while trying to reach Gaza were deported.

In all, more than 470 activists were detained on the Global Sumud Flotilla’s 42 ships that were intercepted by the Israeli Navy.