Israel transfers all Gaza flotilla activists to Greece, brings two suspects for questioning

Israel's navy intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla Thursday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring the mission "carried out with complete success," saying, "Not a single ship and not a single Hamas supporter reached our territory, or even our territorial waters." Netanyahu, who said he personally instructed the navy to prevent the flotilla from reaching Gaza's shores, added that the activists "will return to their countries of origin" and "will continue to watch Gaza on YouTube."

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar confirmed that all participants taken off the vessel were removed unharmed and that, in agreement with the Greek government, those transferred to the Israeli vessel would be disembarked on the Greek coast. The Israeli Foreign Ministry subsequently confirmed that all flotilla activists, except two named suspects, had arrived in Greece.

The Foreign Ministry described the flotilla as "led by Hamas" and "another provocation designed to divert attention from Hamas's refusal to disarm," adding that it was intended "to serve the publicistic interests of professional provocateurs." Two individuals will be brought to Israel for questioning: Saif Abu Kashek, suspected of ties to a terrorist organization, and Thiago Avila, suspected of illegal activity. "Israel will not allow the violation of the legal naval blockade on Gaza," the ministry said.

The Board of Peace, which, according to both the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the US State Department, manages humanitarian activity in the Gaza Strip, also weighed in Thursday, saying the flotilla represented "the performative love-boat activism of people who know nothing of and care even less for the condition of Gazans." The organization said that since the ceasefire last October, food aid was reaching three times more people than before and that Hamas theft of aid had dropped from 90% to less than 1%, according to United Nations figures. 

"It is distasteful to trade on the misery of people to build your social media profiles," the Board of Peace said, urging those wishing to help Gaza to "use whatever influence you have to maintain the pressure on Hamas so they fulfill their obligations."