Israeli authorities are expected to release two foreign activists detained after a Gaza-bound aid flotilla interception before proceeding with their deportation.
According to Beyond Time News, the activists include Thiago Avila from Brazil and Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin.
The two were among several activists aboard a flotilla intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters near Greece on April 30. The mission aimed to challenge the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian assistance.
Israeli forces detained the pair and transferred them to Israel for questioning. Authorities later released other activists on the Greek island of Crete.
Rights group Adalah confirmed that Israeli intelligence officials informed its legal team about the planned release on Saturday. After release from detention, immigration authorities will hold the activists temporarily before deporting them.
The organization said it is closely monitoring the process to ensure both activists leave Israel safely in the coming days.
Earlier this week, an Israeli court extended their detention to allow additional interrogation time. Lawyers representing the activists challenged the decision, but the appeal court rejected the request.
Read more:Israeli Court Extends Detention of Gaza Flotilla Activists Until May 10
The governments of Spain and Brazil, along with the United Nations, had called for their immediate release.
Adalah stated that both activists remained in isolation during detention despite what it described as a peaceful civilian mission. The group also said the two activists started a hunger strike while in custody.
Israeli authorities have not filed formal charges against them. However, reports claim investigators questioned them over alleged links to Palestinian organizations.
The flotilla originally departed from parts of France, Spain, and Italy to deliver aid to Gaza, where humanitarian conditions continue to worsen under the long-running blockade.
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