An Israeli court has ordered the extension of detention for two activists arrested aboard a flotilla bound for Gaza, which was intercepted by Israeli forces at sea. The ruling, issued Sunday, stipulates they will remain in custody for two more days, according to their lawyer.
The two men involved are Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Thiago Avila, a Brazilian national. They were arrested Wednesday evening after their boat was intercepted in international waters near Greece, before being transferred to Israel.
The hearing was held before a court of first instance in the southern city of Ashkelon. The two activists were part of a group engaged in an initiative to reach the Gaza Strip by sea, amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Palestinian territory.
According to reports, more than a hundred other pro-Palestinian activists aboard the boats were taken to the Greek island of Crete after the flotilla was intercepted. The exact circumstances of the operation at sea were not immediately detailed by the authorities.
Initiatives of this type, often organized to denounce the blockade imposed on Gaza, regularly lead to interventions by Israeli forces, who consider these operations as attempts to violate existing restrictions.
The extension of the detention of these two foreign activists comes in a regional climate still marked by strong tensions, while international activist actions around the Gaza issue continue to provoke contrasting reactions on the diplomatic scene.
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