Spain summons Israeli envoy over detained flotilla activist
Madrid slams "intolerable" detention as Israel links Spanish flotilla activist to sanctioned Hamas-linked group
The diplomatic rift between Spain and Israel deepened on Thursday as Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares formally summoned Israel’s top envoy to protest the continued detention of a Spanish national.
The dispute centers on Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish citizen of Palestinian origin, who was apprehended by Israeli forces during the interception of the "Global Sumud Flotilla" last week.
The flotilla, a convoy of roughly 100 vessels carrying 1,000 activists, was intercepted by the Israeli Navy in international waters off the coast of Greece.
While organizers claimed the mission was intended to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities reported that no aid was brought, and later posted a video of condoms and drugs found on the ship. Following the Israeli interception of the sip, most participants were deported. However, Abu Keshek and Brazilian national Thiago Avila were taken into Israeli custody.
Addressing the Spanish parliament, Minister Albares labeled the extended detention of Abu Keshek as "unacceptable and intolerable."
Israel’s Foreign Ministry defended the arrests, stating that both men are being interrogated due to their ties to the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), an organization currently under US sanctions for its alleged financial and operational links to Hamas.