Spain says Israel to free last Spanish Gaza flotilla members

MADRID, Spain: Israel will on Monday return the remaining 28 Spanish detainees from a flotilla carrying pro-Palestinian activists and aid to war-torn Gaza after 21 others arrived at the weekend, Spain’s foreign minister said.

“Today, the group of 28 Spanish flotilla members who remain detained in Israel will leave Israel,” Jose Manuel Albares told Catalunya Radio.

The minister declined to provide further details for privacy reasons but said: “We are working so that they all arrive in Spain as soon as possible.”

“The forecast is that today there will no longer be any Spaniards in jail in Israel,” Albares said.

Dozens of other activists of various nationalities, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, were also due to leave Israel on Monday.

Most, if not all, will be flown to Greece, where they will be able to get flights to their home countries, their respective governments said on Sunday.

Israel released another 21 of the 49 Spanish detainees on Sunday.

The Global Sumud Flotilla had been aiming to break an Israeli blockade to deliver aid to Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold after almost two years of devastating conflict.

The UN said the famine was the result of the “systematic obstruction” of humanitarian aid deliveries by Israel.

Israel started intercepting the flotilla vessels in international waters on Wednesday.

An Israeli official said on Thursday that boats with more than 400 people on board had been prevented from reaching the occupied Palestinian territory.