Israel deports pro-Palestinian activists after flotilla interception, sparking international backlash

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists who were detained in Israel after their flotilla bringing symbolic aid to Gaza was intercepted have been deported, Israel has confirmed.

It follows international backlash in response to a video posted by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir showing himself taunting activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs.

On Thursday, the UK confirmed it had summoned Israel's top diplomat in Britain, charge d'affaires Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, over the incident.

In a statement, the UK Foreign Office said the move reflected the UK's "strong condemnation of [Ben Gvir's] conduct in taunting those involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla".

"We are also deeply concerned by the detention conditions depicted and have demanded an explanation from the Israeli authorities. We made clear their obligations to protect the rights of all those involved," the statement said.

Writing on social media, Poland's Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski said it wished to express "outrage" at the treatment of its citizens, and "demand an apology for the utterly inappropriate behavior of a member of the Israeli government".

A foreign ministry spokesman later said two Polish citizens who were part of the flotilla would be returning, and that a request had been made to ban Ben Gvir from Poland.

On Thursday, Italy's Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Tajani said he had asked the EU to consider placing sanctions on Ben Gvir.

He said this was for the "unacceptable acts" of "seizing the activists in international waters and subjecting them to harassment and humiliation, in violation of the most basic human rights".

There has also been condemnation from the US, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Canada, and Ireland.

There was also rare criticism for Ben Gvir's actions from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said they were "not in line with Israel's values".

In a statement, the Israeli embassy in London stated that video had been condemned by other senior political figures, including President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideo Sa'ar, and does not represent the policy of the Israeli government.

On Thursday, Italian politician Dario Carotenuto and journalist Alessandro Mantovani, who were part of the flotilla, were pictured arriving at Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, after first being flown to Athens.

Adalah, an Israel-based rights group representing the detainees, earlier said there had been "severe, widespread injuries", with at least three people taken to hospital for treatment.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country was conducting special flights that would bring Turkish citizens as well as third country participants to Turkey.

Spain's foreign minister said its diplomats in Israel had been informed that some 44 Spanish flotilla members would depart from Israel at 15:00 local time (12:00 BST).

Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, said 15 Irish citizens who had been detained were expected to be flown to Turkey.

In a statement, a spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "All foreign activists from the PR flotilla have been deported from Israel."

More than 50 boats taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) set sail from Turkey last Thursday carrying a token amount of aid. Four hundred and thirty people from more than 40 countries were on board.

On Monday morning, armed Israeli naval commandos began intercepting the fleet in international waters west of Cyprus, about 250 nautical miles (460km) from the coast of Gaza, which is under an Israeli maritime blockade.

Clare Azzougarh told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme her father Malcolm Ducker, who is in his early 70s, was one of the British citizens detained and she had no information on what was happening.

"We need actions, we need to know what representations they've made to the Israeli foreign ministry. We need to know what actions they're doing to get our loved ones out."