Swiss to protest over curtailed visit to Gaza flotilla nationals detained in Israel

Switzerland will file a diplomatic protest to Israel after Israeli security forces cut short a visit by Swiss diplomats to imprisoned detainees from the Gaza aid flotilla, the Swiss foreign ministry says.

“Due to various incidents, the Israeli security authorities interrupted the visit, preventing the Swiss embassy representatives from talking at length with the group of Swiss nationals,” the ministry says in a statement.

Israeli officials do not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nineteen Swiss nationals were aboard boats in the flotilla of dozens of vessels that tried to deliver aid to Israeli-blockaded Gaza. They were taken into custody on Thursday by Israeli forces who intercepted the flotilla at sea, well off Gaza’s coast, and eventually taken to Ketziot prison, according to the Waves of Freedom flotilla group.

Hundreds of other activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, were also detained in what was the latest attempt by activists to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, where it has been waging war since Hamas’s October 2023 attack.

The Swiss foreign ministry says it would demand from Israel – with which it has had friendly bilateral ties – immediate and unhindered access to the detained Swiss nationals to ascertain their state of health and conditions of detention.

Representatives from the Swiss teams visited the Ketziot prison for eight hours, the ministry says, adding that they planned to return on Sunday.