Gaza flotilla activists: Who are they and where are they now?

Israel said they deported six more people on Thursday who were on the Gaza-bound aid boat seized by Israeli forces earlier this week, while others remain in the country.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted an image on the social platform X of some of the passengers, saying French parliamentarian Rima Hassan was among them.

The vessel, Madleen, was intercepted in international waters on Monday as it attempted to deliver a small shipment of aid to Gaza and draw attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis there. The activists were arrested following the seizure. Israel has continued to enforce a blockade on Gaza amid its ongoing war with Hamas.

On Tuesday, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and three others agreed to deportation. The remaining eight, including Hassan, declined voluntary departure and were awaiting court hearings, Agence France-Presse reported at the time.

Deported from Israel

The Israeli Foreign Ministry posted photos of some of the flotilla passengers aboard airplanes that departed Thursday.

Rima Hassan — Hassan is a member of the left-wing French political party France Unbowed. She has served in the European Parliament since July of last year. Hassan is of Palestinian origin and was born in Syria. She immigrated to France with her family as a child and became a citizen in 2010.

Hassan is known for her pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activism. In February, Israel denied entry to Hassan, accusing her of promoting boycotts against the country, The Associated Press reported at the time. She was reportedly summoned by French police in April of last year after calling Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel “legitimate.”

Suayb Ordu — Ordu is a Turkish citizen. An official from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry told reporters on Wednesday that Ordu was expected to be released and deported on Thursday.

Yasemin Acar — Acar is a German activist of Kurdish Turkish origin focused on refugees, Palestinians and anti-Muslim racism, according to the Berlin-based radio station Refuge Worldwide.

The Turkish source said Acar is a Turkish citizen and that her situation was “being closely monitored” by Ankara.

Reva Seifert Viard — Viard is a French activist who was aboard the flotilla.

Euronews reported that Thunberg and the following three activists were deported on Tuesday after signing a document that stated they entered Israel illegally:

Thunberg — Thunberg was deported from Israel on Tuesday. She arrived in Paris’ airport the same evening.

Thunberg initially gained fame in 2018 for her activism related to climate change and the environment. She began posting on social media in support of Palestinians in October of 2023, shortly after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel and the start of the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza.

Sergio Toribio — Toribio, from Spain, arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday, according to Spanish media.

Israeli media reported that Spain summoned the Israeli ambassador in Madrid on Monday over the flotilla incident. Spain has been vocally critical of Israel’s actions in the Gaza war and recognized a Palestinian state last month.

Baptiste Andre — Andre, a French doctor, flew into Paris on Tuesday evening, the local media outlet BFMTV reported.

Omar Faiad — Faiad, a journalist for Al Jazeera, arrived in Paris on Tuesday, according to the outlet. Euronews described him as a French citizen.

Status unknown

Euronews reported on Tuesday that the activists who did not sign the order were awaiting court dates. The remaining activists who were aboard the flotilla are as follows:

Thiago Avila — Avila is a Brazilian activist with a large social media following, including more than 830,000 followers on Instagram. Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said in a post on X on Monday that Avila had arrived at the Tel Aviv airport and would return to Brazil, but there is no confirmation he has departed, and he was not seen in the photos posted by Israel's Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

Avila last posted on Facebook on Monday. He did not return a request for comment on his whereabouts.

Pascal Maurieras — Maurieras is a French activist who previously took part in a 2018 flotilla to Gaza. That voyage was also blocked by Israel.

Yanis Mhamdi — Mhamdi is a journalist for the French outlet Blast. Reporters Without Borders said on Wednesday that he remains in Israeli custody.

Marco van Rennes — Rennes is a Dutch activist who was on the flotilla.

Know more: Another group is currently seeking to march toward Gaza by land. The Global March to Gaza is a planned procession toward the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Most of the participants are from North Africa and seek to draw attention to the bleak humanitarian situation in the enclave, according to Al Jazeera.

On Thursday, spokesperson for the march Saif Abukeshek told Agence France-Presse that more than 200 participants were detained at Cairo’s airport and questioned at hotels in the city. A day earlier, Egypt's Foreign Ministry issued a statement warning that any international delegations wishing to visit the border area would need permission to do so.

"No requests or invitations will be considered or responded to if submitted outside the framework specified by the regulatory provisions and the established mechanism in this regard," said the ministry.

Al-Monitor's Ezgi Akin contributed to this report from Ankara.