EILAT CITY, ISRAEL Oct 10 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- A group of activists detained by Israel after its navy attacked of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, departed from Ramon Eilat Airport in Eilat city on a special flight on Friday, Anadolu Ajansi reported, quoting Turkish diplomatic sources.
Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry said 18 Turkish citizens detained by Israel aboard ships of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition will return home Friday afternoon on the special flight.
Turkiye also plans to evacuate around 80 activists from other countries on the flight, ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Thursday in a statement.
The Israeli navy attacked ships of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's Thousand Madleens convoy to Gaza early Wednesday in international waters, roughly 120 nautical miles (222 kilometres) from the enclave.
The convoy set sail after Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats last week that were part of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla and detained over 450 activists on board. Most of them have been deported.
The regime has also previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo and deported the activists on board.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
