Greta Thunberg and other activists who tried to deliver aid to Gaza by sea will be deported from Israel after the yacht they were traveling on was intercepted by the military, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced early today, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The ministry reported in "Ex" that the passengers from the sailboat arrived at "Ben Gurion" airport to leave Israel and return to their home countries.
They were expected to leave the country "within the next few hours," the ministry said.
"Those who refuse to sign deportation papers and leave Israel will face legal action authority in accordance with Israeli law to authorize their deportation," the ministry said.
It added that consuls from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport.
The ship "Madeleine" from the Coalition Freedom Flotilla (CFF) set sail from Sicily a week ago, carrying aid for Palestinians and hoping to put more pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza.
But the yacht was intercepted by Israeli forces early Monday on the orders of Defense Minister Israel Katz.
A CFF statement said Monday that the ship "Madeleine" was forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters, its crew detained, and its aid cargo confiscated.
KFS organizer Huwaida Araf called the detention illegal, saying Israel had no jurisdiction over the volunteers. The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed the mission as a "provocation" and called the "Madeleine" "a selfie yacht".