Israel is set to release two foreign activists kidnapped from a Gaza-bound flotilla later today, ahead of handing them to immigration authorities to deport, according to the rights group representing them.
Adalah released a statement, which read, “Today, the Shabak Israeli intelligence agency informed Adalah’s legal team that Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists and leaders Thiago Avila and Saif Abukeshek would be released from Israeli detention today, Saturday 9 May 2026.”
The pair “will be handed to Israel’s immigration authorities later today and kept in custody pending their deportation,” the statement added.
Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila were kidnapped and captivated in Israel for questioning last week after their flotilla was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters off Greece.
The Gaza Flotilla is a series of international maritime aid missions, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), aiming to break the Israeli-imposed blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid to the people suffering in Gaza.
