From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 1, 2026
Israel says 2 Gaza flotilla activists to be brought to country for questioning, one of them for terror ties
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After setting some 175 detained Gaza flotilla participants free in Crete, Israel’s Foreign Ministry says two are being brought to Israel as suspects.
“Saif Abu Keshek, suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization and Thiago Ávila suspected of illegal activity, will be brought to Israel for questioning,” the ministry says in a tweet.
The ministry says all detainees besides the two have been set free.
The statement also calls the mission a “Hamas-led-flotilla” and “another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas’s refusal to disarm – and to serve the PR interests of professional provocateurs.”
As published by the Board of Peace and the U.S. State Department, the humanitarian activity in the Gaza Strip is managed by the BoP, and this Hamas-led-flotilla is another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas’s refusal to disarm – and to serve the PR interests of… pic.twitter.com/5Bof2RzG0y
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 1, 2026
The flotilla organizers call for pressure on Israel to release the two remaining detainees.
RELEASE THIAGO AND SAIF NOW!
We demand that all governments do all they can to pressure the Israeli regime to release all the illegal abductees. The remaining captive participants were released in Crete except Thiago and Saif. pic.twitter.com/sfEZRx7O6a
— Global Sumud Flotilla (@gbsumudflotilla) May 1, 2026
The Times of Israel Community.