Two Gaza aid flotilla activists brought in for questioning, says Israel

JERUSALEM - Two activists who participated in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have been brought to Israel for questioning, the country’s foreign ministry said on May 2, after the vessels were intercepted by Israeli forces this week.

The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from ports in France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking the blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory.

They were intercepted by Israeli forces overnight from April 29 to April 30.

Israel said it had removed around 175 activists from the flotilla, but organisers accused Israeli personnel of “kidnapping” 211 activists.

Two of the activists, Mr Saif Abu Keshek, from Spain, and Mr Thiago Avila, a Brazilian, were in Israel and would “be transferred for questioning by law enforcement authorities”, the ministry said on social media platform X.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares denounced Israel’s detention of Mr Abu Keshek as “illegal”, warning it came at a moment of already deteriorating ties between the two countries.

“We are facing an illegal detention in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities so Saif Abu Keshek must be released immediately so that he can return to Spain,” Mr Albares told Rac1 radio.

“This is an episode that further strains our relationship... (with Israel) because of how unacceptable this situation is, because a state does not conduct itself in this manner.”

Worsening ties

Ties between Israel and Spain have nosedived since the Gaza war sparked by the October 2023 Hamas cross-border attacks, with Israel angered by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s unrelenting criticism of its bombardment of the Palestinian territory.

Both countries have withdrawn their ambassadors.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the two activists were affiliated with an organisation that was sanctioned by the US Treasury.

That group – the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) – has been accused by Washington of “clandestinely acting on behalf of” Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The Treasury said the organisation had played a role in organising other Gaza-bound flotillas aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Mr Abu Keshek was a leading member of the PCPA. It said Mr Avila was also linked to the organisation and was “suspected of illegal activity”.

“Both will receive a consular visit from the representatives of their respective countries in Israel,” the ministry said.

Mr Albares rejected the allegation, saying: “The information I myself have requested indicates that no link can be established between Saif Abu Keshek and Hamas.”

Mr Avila was among the organisers of a flotilla that had tried to bring aid to Gaza in 2025 despite the naval blockade. That effort was also intercepted by Israeli forces.

Activists ‘beaten’

Israel controls all entry points to Gaza.

Throughout the war sparked by Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel, there have been shortages of critical supplies in Gaza, with Israel at points cutting off the entry of aid entirely.

Organisers of the latest flotilla said the Israeli interception took place over 1,000km from Gaza.

They said their equipment was smashed and the intervention left them facing a “calculated death trap at sea”.

Dozens disembarked on May 1 on the Greek island of Crete, according to an AFP journalist.

Organisers published photos on X showing two activists with bruises on their faces, while one participant said in footage that Israeli forces had “beaten” them “several times”.

Hamas condemned the interception, urging rights groups to pursue legal action against the Israeli authorities for “crimes against the Global Sumud Flotilla, ensuring they do not enjoy impunity”.

The Global Sumud Flotilla’s first Mediterranean voyage towards Gaza in the summer and autumn of 2025 drew worldwide attention, before Israeli forces intercepted the boats off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.

Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and expelled by Israeli forces. AFP