Israel expels 3 activists from Gaza flotilla

Israel Tuesday expelled three activists onboard a flotilla attempting to reach the Gaza Strip this week, an Israeli official confirmed to Xinhua.

Among those expelled are former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki, Spanish-European parliament member Ana Miranda, as well as a former Israeli peace activist, spokesperson for the Israeli Population, confirmed the Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA) to Xinhua Tuesday.

The Swedish-based Marianne ship, part of the "third freedom flotilla," set sail last week with 18 activists onboard headed towards the Gaza Strip, currently under naval blockade, in order to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in the strip under the blockade and the recent rounds of operations, as well as provide humanitarian assistance.

The boat was intercepted by the Israeli navy Monday and rerouted to the Ashdod port in southern Israel where the activists were taken into custody. No casualties were reported during the navy's raid.

Onboard the ship was Arab Israeli parliament member Basel Ghattas (Joint List), who is awaiting a decision by the Knesset's (parliament) ethics committee, regarding whether some of his privileges as a parliament member will be revoked, including immunity from prosecution.

Apart from the three deportees and aside from MK Ghattas who is still exempt from prosecution, the remaining activists aboard the Marianne are currently held at a detention center in central Israel, barring a channel 2 news crew onboard to cover the expedition.

Ghattas told Israel Radio Tuesday that efforts to reprimand him were motivated by "revenge" adding that the Israeli navy "kidnapped" flotilla members during the raid, since the interception occurred in international waters, about 100 nautical miles from the Gaza shore.

Other than the Marianne, three other ships participated in the flotilla, however they retreated once the Marianne was intercepted.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in a statement Monday said that the interception and raid took place "once all diplomatic approaches were exhausted" and under instructions from the Israeli government, in order to "redirect the vessel to prevent a breach of the naval blockade."

"The Israeli navy repeatedly advised the vessel to change course in accordance with international law. Following their refusal, the navy boarded and searched the vessel in international waters to prevent the intended breach of the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip," added the IDF.

Israel imposed the blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007 as a means to combat arms smuggling into the strip, after Hamas seized the enclave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement commending the Israeli navy and calling the flotilla a "demonstration in hypocrisy and lies" which "supports Hamas, ignoring the regional horrors."

In 2010, a flotilla accommodating mainly Turkish pro-Palestinian activists headed towards the Gaza Strip was impeded by the navy, which then boarded the boat and clashed with the activists, leading to the death of nine of them.

During a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2013, Netanyahu apologized for the incident.

Since then Israel has been unable to repair its relations with Turkey.