Some 30 vessels from the Gaza-bound flotilla that set sail from Crete are now heading toward Turkey, according to flotilla organizers, a week after the Israeli Navy intercepted more than 20 boats and detained activists involved in the mission.
The flotilla leadership is set to hold an emergency meeting in the Turkish port city of Marmaris after Israel’s naval operation disrupted the mission last week, when 22 vessels were intercepted, and two of the flotilla’s leaders were taken to Israel and jailed.
“Despite the illegal abduction of our friends, the occupation’s psychological warfare, and the looming presence of military surveillance and aggression, the flotilla remains intact, and the mission remains the same: to stand with the Palestinian people in pursuit of freedom and basic rights,” the organizers said Friday morning.
However, a Greenpeace vessel that had accompanied the flotilla has left the convoy and continued on its own route.
Representatives from more than 50 countries are expected to arrive in Marmaris for a symposium and conference on Saturday and Sunday. The meetings aim to develop an updated legal strategy and revised operational plans for the flotilla’s disrupted mission.
Two detained activists set for Sunday hearing
Palestinian activist Saif Abu Keshek, 44, and Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, 39, are being held at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon and have been on hunger strike for about a week. They are expected to appear before a judge again on Sunday.
Israel is expected to seek a third extension of their detention. The two are suspected of serious security offenses, including alleged cooperation with terrorists.
