Türkiye evacuates 112 Freedom Flotilla activists arrested by Israeli occupation forces
Among the activists evacuated were 18 Turkish citizens and 94 activists from other countries, who were unlawfully detained by the Israeli occupation forces during the interception of the Freedom Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid before it reached Gaza.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Kaçalı said via Twitter that "18 Turkish citizens will arrive in Türkiye on Friday afternoon," adding that "we are evacuating 94 activists from 21 countries."
The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza announced last Wednesday that the Freedom Flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip had been attacked by Israel in international waters, days after its attack on the Global Steadfastness Flotilla.
The Freedom Flotilla, comprising 11 ships, set sail a few days ago, carrying civilian activists and humanitarian aid for the besieged Gaza Strip, where some 2.4 million Palestinians live in catastrophic conditions.
A week ago, Israel attacked the Global Steadfastness Flotilla, a group of activists attempting to break the blockade of Gaza, in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea as it sailed toward the Palestinian enclave.
Israel arbitrarily arrested hundreds of activists on board, before releasing most of them amid reports of their "torture" and "ill-treatment."
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 8, 2023, leaving 67,194 martyrs and 169,890 wounded, most of them children and women, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 460 Palestinians, including 154 children.
