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Israeli Occupation Continues Illegal Detention and Deportation of 145 International Medics, Journalists and Human Rights Defenders

10 October 2025 – Gaza / Ashdod Port / Ktzi’ot Prison:

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) confirms that Israel continues to illegally imprison and abuse many international human rights defenders at Ktzi’ot Prison in the Naqab (Negev) desert.

This follows the Israeli occupation’s illegal and violent attack and pirating of the FFC and Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) flotilla on October 8, 2025, 120 nautical miles (220 km) from Gaza in international waters, and the forcible transfer of nine vessels and 145 international volunteers from over 25 countries to Ashdod Port.

Adalah attorneys continue to receive reports of aggressive and violent conduct by the Israeli forces during and following Israel’s unlawful interception of their vessels, as well as appalling detention conditions, including inadequate access to drinking water and in some instances, physical and verbal abuse. Hearings began without legal representation in a clear denial of access to legal counsel.

Huwaida Arraf (Palestinian/American), Zohar Chamberlain Regev (Israeli/German), and Omer Sharir (Israeli) remain imprisoned at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon. On Oct 9th, they were interrogated before the Magistrate’s Court in Ashkelon on suspicion of “infiltration into an unauthorized military area.” During a second court hearing this morning, the Judge demanded that if they do not sign paperwork, they will continue to be held indefinitely in Israeli prison. All three refused and are on hunger strike.

As of now, 89 out of 145 participants have been released.

Deportation procedures for international volunteers began on October 9th and 10 people were deported from Israel, including:

• 3 Turkish Parliamentarians on the Conscience who arrived in Istanbul.

• Irish MP Barry John Heneghan, Belgian MP Bénédicte Linard, and French MPs Alma Dufour and Farida Amarni

• 2 doctors from Jordan who were on the Conscience, were taken by land to Jordan.

Since then, some human rights defenders were coerced into signing a false document that they had “entered Israeli territory illegally” and were deported today to Turkey. Among them are nine French citizens –including 82 year-old Isaline Choury–who are expected to arrive in Paris this evening.

All nine members of the Malaysian delegation, as well as volunteers from Algeria, Bangladesh, Greece, Korea, New Zealand, Switzerland and Azerbaijan were released and arrived in Istanbul. Half of the Canadian delegation–Mskwaasin Agnew, Khurram Musti Khan and Nima Machouf–were released and arrived in Istanbul. The other half of the Canadian delegation–Nikita Stapleton, Sadie Mees and Devoney Ellis–remain illegally imprisoned by the Zionist entity.

Mélissa Camara, a Black French European MP, is the only MP still imprisoned and has suffered abuse, humiliation, and violence by IOF soldiers, according to volunteers’ testimonies–once again exposing Israel’s longstanding and well-documented history of anti-Black racism.

25 French nationals remain captive, abandoned by the French authorities after being illegally kidnapped by Israel in international waters.

It is reported that all remaining volunteers refused to sign a false confession, and may be deported through Jordan on Sunday or Monday.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition denounces every single one of Israel’s abductions–including the over 20,000 illegal abductions and imprisonment of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza since October 7, 2023–as well as illegal detentions and forced deportations as clear violations of international law. We demand freedom for all hostages, including over 11,000 Palestinians imprisoned under Israeli occupation. Israel, a settler state with no jurisdiction over international waters, continues to kidnap civilians, including elected officials, journalists, doctors, and human rights defenders, whose only mission was to break the illegal blockade on Gaza and deliver essential medical aid.

We call on all governments to demand the immediate release of all detainees and all Palestinian political prisoners, their personal property including their boats, to condemn Israel’s ongoing acts of maritime piracy, to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel, and uphold the right to freedom of movement and unhindered humanitarian access to all Palestinians in Occupied Palestine.

The latest ceasefire, which Palestinian journalists have documented Israel has already violated, is a bare minimum — Israel’s decades long illegal and brutal siege, apartheid and occupation must end. End the blockade. Free Palestine.

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