14 Turkish activists detained on Gaza-bound flotilla cross into Jordan

JERICHO, Palestine

Fourteen Turkish activists, unlawfully detained by Israel aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, crossed into Jordan by land on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

“Fourteen of our citizens who were aboard vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla seized by Israel crossed into Jordan by land this morning,” Oncu Keceli said through the US social media company X.

“They will fly from Amman to Türkiye, completing the return of all Turkish participants of the flotilla to the country,” he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, activists arrived at the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan to return to Türkiye.

The activists, who had been held at Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, were transported to the border in prison transfer vehicles.

Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla beginning on Wednesday and detained more than 470 activists from over 50 countries.

The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.

Israel has maintained the blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 67,100 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.