In a post on its Facebook page, the center (a private organization based in Haifa) said: "A number of activists will be deported in the coming hours: Antonio Mazzeo from Italy, Gabriel Casala from France, and Jacob Berger from the United States."
The post added that the Israeli Immigration Service had completed its investigations into Angie Sahouquet, a French national, and Dr. Frank Romano, a dual American-French citizen, before allowing Adalah staff to meet with them.
According to the human rights center, "12 activists refused to sign the voluntary deportation agreement, and will soon appear before a court in a legal proceeding."
He stated that the twelve activists who refused to sign the petition "have been continuing an open-ended hunger strike since their arrest, expressing their protest against their arbitrary and illegal detention by the Israeli authorities." He did not provide details about the remaining activists.
On Saturday night, Israeli naval forces stormed and seized control of the ship, the Hanthala, carrying 21 international solidarity activists as it headed to the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the blockade imposed on the Palestinian enclave.
Before the raid, the ship sent out a distress call after Israeli naval forces approached it while it was close to the Gaza Strip's shores.
On July 13, the Hanthala set sail from the Italian port of Syracuse, before docking at Gallipoli on July 15 to overcome some technical issues. It then set sail again on July 20, heading for Gaza with 21 activists on board.
This is not the first incident of its kind. On June 9, the Israeli occupation forces seized the ship Madeleine, part of the Freedom Flotilla, in international waters while en route to the besieged Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid. The ship was arrested along with 12 international activists on board, and Israel later deported the activists on condition that they pledge not to return.
Prior to this, the Gaza blockade-busting ship "Al-Dameer" was attacked by an Israeli drone on May 2nd while attempting to sail towards Gaza, causing a hole in its hull and a fire in its bow.
The Gaza Strip is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history, with a severe famine intertwined with a war of extermination waged by Israel since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 204,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 9,000 missing.
With the complete closure of crossings and the ban on the entry of food and medicine since March 2, famine has spread throughout the Gaza Strip, and symptoms of severe malnutrition have appeared among children and patients.
