Israeli far-right minister slams Netanyahu’s decision to release ‘Sumud Flotilla’ activists
OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Oct. 03 (YPA) – The self-proclaimed Israeli National Security Minister, the far-right extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Friday attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to repatriate the passengers of the global ‘Sumud Flotilla’ to their home countries.
In a video clip, Ben-Gvir stated, “The Prime Minister’s decision to allow supporters of terrorism in the flotilla to return to their countries is fundamentally wrong.”
He added, “I believe they should be detained here for a few months in an Israeli prison, so they can get a whiff of the terrorist wing.”
Ben-Gvir stressed, “There cannot be a situation where the Prime Minister repeatedly returns them to their countries—this return to their countries forces them to come back again and again.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced earlier today, Friday, the deportation of four Italians, as part of the initial repatriation of hundreds of activists arrested from the “Sumud Flotilla,” indicating that the rest are pending deportation.
Over the past 48 hours, Israeli authorities seized 42 vessels belonging to the global Sumud Flotilla while they were sailing in international waters toward Gaza, arresting hundreds of international activists on board.
In a statement today, the Israeli police said that naval forces arrested 470 participants in the flotilla, explaining that the detainees “underwent a thorough examination, and were then transferred to the Population and Immigration Authority and the Prisons Service for further procedures.”
In this context, the Israeli Prisons Service stated in a release early Friday that about 200 activists participating in the flotilla had been interrogated before being transferred to detention at the Ktzi’ot Prison, noting that the detainees “underwent a meticulous inspection process” before being moved to Ktzi’ot to complete the procedures.
Ben-Gvir had previously toured the Negev Prison where the participants of the global Sumud Flotilla, who were apprehended by the Israeli Navy, are being held.
During the tour, Ben-Gvir said, “As I promised, these people, the experts of terrorism, are here in a security prison… They are receiving conditions of treatment here just like any terrorist.”
In a related context, some flotilla social media accounts announced the launch of new flotillas toward Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirmed that a ship named “The Conscience” left Italy on Wednesday carrying about 100 people who describe themselves as activists. It also mentioned that many of the passengers are healthcare workers and journalists.
Additionally, eight other ships sailed from Italy about a week ago, and live tracking data indicates that the nine vessels are currently near the island of Crete.
YPA