Israel Transfers 137 Detainees from Global Sumud Flotilla to Turkey

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that 137 individuals detained from the Global Sumud Flotilla have been sent to Turkey. The Israeli military forcibly seized a total of 443 people from the international waters.

According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the detainees include nationals from the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Malaysia, Bahrain, Morocco, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Turkey.

Earlier, Israeli commandos seized all ships of the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla, known as the Global Sumud Flotilla, and arrested human rights activists onboard. Among those detained was Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Israel's actions have been condemned by many countries, calling it "terrorist activity."

The Global Sumud Flotilla is a global initiative aimed at delivering aid to Gaza via sea. The flotilla consists of over 40 civilian vessels, with nearly 500 human rights activists from 46 countries, including elected representatives from the European Parliament, lawyers, activists, doctors, and journalists from countries such as the U.S., Spain, Ireland, France, and Belgium.

The first flotilla set sail from Barcelona, Spain, on August 31. Between September 13-15, additional ships joined the mission from Tunisia and Sicily. Later, more vessels from Greece's Cyros Island also joined the aid mission.

Israel’s move to seize these ships and detain the activists has been widely criticized by the international community as an infringement on humanitarian rights.