Gaza, Oct 02 (V7N) – More than 200 human rights activists from 37 countries, including controversial environmentalist Greta Thunberg, have been detained following Israel’s attack on the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla and seizure of its ships. Questions have emerged about where the detainees will be held and whether they will be sent back to their home countries.

A report by Reuters quotes Suhad Bishara, director of the Israeli Resident Rights Organization and the Adalah Law Center, saying that the detained activists will be handed over to immigration authorities upon arrival at Ashdod port. They are expected to be transferred to Ketziyot prison while preparations for deportation are made. Bishara added that his organization is ready to provide legal assistance to the detainees.

“Our main concern is to ensure the health and safety of the detainees. They should receive all legal advice they need before and during their hearings in immigration tribunals and prisons,” Bishara told Reuters.

However, Omer Schatz, an international law expert at Sciences Po University in Paris, noted that Israel’s prisons do not typically detain migrants, highlighting the unusual nature of this mass detention.

The Sumud Flotilla, comprising over 40 civilian vessels, carries approximately 500 participants from 44 countries, including activists, doctors, teachers, and politicians. Notable participants include Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Mandela Mandela, and Bangladeshi filmmaker Shahidul Alam, all joining the mission in solidarity with Palestinians.

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