Five French, among the 12 activists who were in the boat for Gaza intercepted by the Israeli authorities, will be subject to “a process of forced expulsion,” Foreign Minister Jean-NOël Barrot announced this Tuesday, June 10.
Six French remained in the boat to Italy on June 1, including the Franco-Palestinian Eurodiputa Rima Hassan. The general consul could see them on Monday to Tuesday, said the minister of X.
“One of our compatriots has chosen to sign the Israeli form that accepts its expulsion accompanied without waiting for the decision of the Court. It should recover France today. The other five have decreased and their possible expulsion will take place after the decision of the Israeli judge in the next few days,” said Jean-Noël Barrot in a statement on Tuesday.
The minister did not give precision about the identity of the French who will be expelled immediately. According to their written statement, French activists “were transferred during the night to the Ramlé detention Center, near the airport” Tel Aviv.
Transferred to Tel Aviv airport
The sailboat with activists on board 12 French, German, Brazilians, Turks, Swedes, Spaniards and Dutch, left Italy on June 1 to “break the Israeli block” in Gaza, prey to a disastrous humanitarian situation after more than eighteen months of war. It significantly transports the Swedish ecological activist Greta Thunberg and the Franco-Palestine Eurodiputada, Insumise Rima Hassan, as well as humanitarian aid. “Organized” during the night from Sunday to Monday by the Israeli army, arrived at the Israeli port of Ashod on Monday night.
Then, the activists were transferred to Tel Aviv airport for repatriation, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Tuesday. “Those who refuse to sign the expulsion documents and leave Israel will be translated into a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their expulsion,” said the ministry of X, added that activists had met the consuls of their respective countries at the airport.
The For Freedom flotilla coalition, which has rented the boat, confirmed that its activists were under the care of the Israeli authorities and that “they could be authorized to leave Tel Aviv” from the night from Monday to Tuesday. “We continue to demand the immediate release of all volunteers,” the organization wrote in X, saying that “its arrest is illegal and constitutes a violation of international law.”
The For Liberty flotilla coalition, launched in 2010, is a non -violent international movement to support the Palestinians, combining humanitarian aid and political protest against Gaza’s blockade.
France has “approved all messages” to Israel to “the protection” of its nationals “be safe” and that “they can find French land,” said President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, denouncing as a “scandal” the humanitarian block in Gaza. Tens of thousands of people gathered Monday night in France in the call on the left in support of these activists.
Source: BFM TV
