Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has been deported from Israel, along with one of six French activists who were passengers on a humanitarian aid ship that sailed to the Gaza Strip until it was arrested by Israeli authorities, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced on Tuesday.
"One of our compatriots signed an Israeli form accepting deportation without waiting for the decision of the judiciary. His return to France is expected today. The other five refused, and their possible deportation will take place after the decision of an Israeli judge in the coming days," said the French minister on the sidelines of the conference on ocean protection in Nice.
The minister did not reveal the identity of the French citizen who will return to the country on Tuesday. The Madleen sailing ship, which set sail from Sicily on June 1, was carrying 12 people, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan.
Thunberg and other activists were taken to Tel Aviv airport before being deported, Israel's foreign ministry said. The ship was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, Reuters reports.
"Some of the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are expected to leave Israel in the coming hours," the ministry said.
"Those who refuse to sign deportation papers and leave the country will be brought before a judge, in accordance with Israeli law, to approve their deportation," he said.
The activists were visited at the airport by diplomatic representatives of their countries, the Israeli ministry added.
It later announced that it was "on its way to France and Greta Thunberg."
Madeleen's goal was to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and end the "Israeli blockade" of that Palestinian territory, which, according to the United Nations, is threatened by famine.
It was the second attempt by the Freedom Fleet organization to send its vessel to Gaza. In early May, the ship Conscience stopped its journey towards the enclave after it was hit by two drones near Maltese territorial waters, Reuters reported.
Madleen tried to transport "fruit juices, milk, rice, canned goods and protein bars" to Gaza, donations from hundreds of citizens of the Sicilian city of Catania, journalist Andrea Legni, a passenger on the ship, said earlier.
Photo: EPA/ORIETTA SCARDINO
