Colombia expels Israeli diplomats over Gaza flotilla intercept

Bogotá: Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday expelled all remaining Israeli diplomats in the country over Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and reported detention of two Colombian activists.

Petro said two Colombian women, “who were engaged in human solidarity activities with Palestine,” were detained by Israeli forces in international waters.

In a statement, his office said Manuela Bedoya and Luna Barreto were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla and called for their immediate release.

The Israeli foreign ministry confirmed that “several vessels” in the flotilla had been “safely stopped” and that the passengers were being brought to an Israeli port.

The leftist Petro severed relations with Israel last year but four diplomats remained posted in the country, a source at the Israeli consulate in Bogota told AFP.

Writing on X, Petro announced the expulsion of “the entire diplomatic delegation of Israel” over what he called “a new international crime” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He also terminated a free-trade deal in force with Israel since 2020.

Colombia’s leader is one of Netanyahu’s most vocal critics, calling him “genocidal,” while also slamming US President Donald Trump as an “accomplice” to “genocide.”

Last week, Petro attended a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, where he called on the US military to “disobey” Trump.

Washington revoked Petro’s visa over his remarks.