Gaza 'freedom flotilla' protestors to be deported 'in hours'
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Greta Thunberg and 12 other activists will be deported from Israel and placed on planes back to their home countries within hours.
The Swedish activist set sail on the Madleen boat on June 1 along with other activists from France, Ireland, Italy and more. The group were snatched by Israel while in international waters.
After being taken to an Israeli prison for migrants, the flotilla activists have reportedly been taken to Israel's Ben Gurion Airport to be deported.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said: 'Some of the 'Selfie Yacht' passengers are expected to leave within the next few hours.
'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorise their deportation.'
Representatives from each of the activists' home countries met with them, it has been reported. Most are expected to appear in court in Ashdod, Israel.
The activists will be shown a video of the October 7 attacks before being deported, according to Israeli media.
The group, called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, were aiming to get to Gaza carrying flour, rice, baby formula, and other basic supplies.
Their detainment has sparked international outrage, with many pointing out it's illegal under international law to interfere with freedom of navigation and to block aid.
In March, Israel announced they were blocking all goods and supplies from entering Gaza, sparking a famine within the strip.
'Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a group of people working across the world to end Israel's blockade of Gaza.
The organisation, which was founded in 2015, have been involved in several missions before. More Trending
In 2015, the Freedom Flotilla III set sail from Athens and planned to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, but was intercepted by the Israeli navy around 100 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza.
A year later, a crew of 26 women set sail in 2016 to highlight the struggle of women in Gaza.
It was divided into three legs: Barcelona to Ajaccio, Ajaccio to Messina, and Messina to Gaza. Each leg was crewed by thirteen volunteers with several members alternating at different legs of the voyage.
But the boat was intercepted 35 nautical miles away from the Gaza coast and the women were sent back to their home countries.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: What happens to Greta Thunberg and the Madleen crew now?
MORE: Dawn French apologises after being accused of underplaying October 7 attacks on Israel
MORE: 'Israel arrested my mum, how do I know she's not dead in a ditch?'
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Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Morning Bid: Oil pops, dollar drops
LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) - What matters in U.S. and global markets today I'm excited to announce that I'm now part of Reuters Open Interest (ROI), opens new tab, an essential new source for data-driven, expert commentary on market and economic trends. You can find ROI on the Reuters website, opens new tab, and you can follow us on LinkedIn, opens new tab and X., opens new tab Intro Not for the first time this year, markets are being hit by multiple crosscurrents. Today it's an oil price surge driven by Middle East tensions alongside surprisingly benign U.S. inflation readings. I discuss this and the rest of today's market news below. In today's column, I explore a surprising twist in the global dollar debate that could reshape how investors think about currency risk. I'll be off tomorrow so Morning Bid will take a day's holiday, but back to regular programming on Monday. Today's Market Minute * U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday U.S. personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because "it could be a dangerous place", adding that the United States would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. * U.S. consumer prices increased less than expected in May as cheaper gasoline partially offset higher rents, but inflation is expected to accelerate in the coming months on the back of the Trump administration's import tariffs. *An Air India plane bound for London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, the airline and police said, and India's federal health minister said that "many people" were killed. * U.S. trade negotiations have transitioned from their tumultuous opening act into a new chapter: the Slow Grind. It may be less turbulent than this past spring's drama, but no less worrying for investors. * A proposed U.S. tax targeting foreign investors could hurt European energy giants that operate in America's booming oil and gas sector, undermining President Donald Trump's energy dominance agenda. Read the latest from ROI columnist Ron Bousso. Oil pops, dollar drops With investors trying to read the runes of this week's 'framework' trade agreement between the U.S. and China on Wednesday, worries surfaced about the state of play in the Middle East after the U.S. announced that it was moving personnel out of the region ahead of talks with Iran over the latter's nuclear-related activity. Crude oil prices promptly jumped 4% and hit their highest in two months before giving up some of those gains earlier today. European travel stocks and auto makers fell more than 2% on Thursday on the jitters. Gold , however, was only marginally higher, and the dollar (.DXY), opens new tab fell. While no specific reason was given for the U.S. personnel orders, the U.N. nuclear watchdog passed a resolution on Thursday formally declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years. Concern about Israeli threats to Iran's nuclear facilities inevitably ramped up. The prospect of higher energy prices at a time of tariff-related inflation concerns will certainly rankle. But so far at least, the Trump administration's import levies aren't putting much upward pressure on U.S. consumer prices, as May CPI came in below forecasts on Wednesday. Core annual producer price readings due out later today are expected to be steady. Despite this week's crude gains, year-on-year oil prices are still down more than 10%. And two-year U.S. 'breakeven' inflation rates in the inflation-protected Treasury market fell to their lowest of the year at 2.44%. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury yields fell on a mix of soft inflation and robust demand at the 10-year auction on Wednesday. Some $22 billion of 30-year bonds are up for grabs later today, testing the recently shaky demand for long-duration debt. Federal Reserve expectations haven't shifted greatly, with two quarter-point interest rate cuts still priced by yearend. No move is expected before September, even though President Donald Trump once again called for an immediate full percentage point rate cut after the CPI report. The dollar remains under pressure however, raising more concern about the absence of its traditional 'safe haven' role at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. The dollar index (.DXY), opens new tab fell to its lowest level since April, with the euro surging above $1.15 to within a whisker of its best levels since 2021. Sterling was a standout loser against the euro, falling to its weakest against the single currency in a month after a surprisingly sharp drop in April UK GDP. Stocks were slightly shaken by the whole picture, with the S&P500 (.SPX), opens new tab ending in the red on the Middle East news on Wednesday and futures down almost half a percentage point ahead of Thursday's open. Chinese, Japanese and European bourses were all in the red on Thursday. Only South Korea's Kospi bucked the trend. The wider trade war picture remained uncertain despite the U.S.-China progress, with details still patchy as the negotiated deal in London awaited final approval. Trump on Wednesday said he was very happy with the trade deal, as it restored a fragile truce between the two biggest economies, claiming China agreed to free up rare earth supplies in exchange for the U.S. allowing Chinese students to attend U.S. colleges. But he also insisted: "We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%." White House officials said the 55% represents the sum of a baseline 10% "reciprocal" tariff Trump has imposed on goods imported from nearly all U.S. trading partners, the 20% fentanyl-related tariffs, and pre-existing 25% levies on imports from China that were put in place during Trump's first term. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the 55% rate on Chinese imports is fixed and unalterable. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the deal would not reduce U.S. export restrictions on high-end artificial intelligence chips. China on Thursday affirmed the trade deal, and a foreign ministry spokesperson said: "Now that a consensus has been reached, both sides should abide by it." But with less than four weeks to go before the expiration of the 90-day pause on U.S. tariffs worldwide, markets remain concerned about what will happen next month. Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to extend a July 8 deadline for completing trade talks, but also said he did not believe that would be necessary, noting: "At a certain point, we're just going to send letters out ... saying, 'This is the deal. You can take it, or you can leave it.'" European Union talks, in particular, look unlikely to be concluded by then. Elsewhere, Boeing shares fell 6% pre-market after news that an Air India plane headed to London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad. Be sure to check out today's column, which looks at the weakening dollar and the debate about whether its decline is being driven by flight from U.S. assets at large or simply foreign investors hedging their dollar exposure. Chart of the day The UK may be seeing the downsides of publishing noisy monthly GDP readouts as opposed to quarterly updates. The April GDP report threw cold water on a relatively robust start to the year for the UK economy, showing a surprising 0.3% contraction during the month. However, it remains very unclear how much of the April loss will be durable through the second quarter. Either way, the data will put pressure on the Bank of England to step up monetary easing. Consequently, both sterling and UK government bond yields fell back after the GDP release. Today's events to watch * U.S. May producer price report (8:30 AM EDT), weekly jobless claims (8:30 AM EDT) * Federal Reserve issues Quarterly Financial Accounts of the United States (11:00 AM EDT) * U.S. Treasury auctions $22 billion of 30-year bonds * European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos and ECB board member Isabel Schnabel both speak in Brussels * U.S. corporate earnings: Adobe Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, opens new tab, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias. Want to receive the Morning Bid in your inbox every weekday morning? Sign up for the newsletter here.
The Independent
19 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers
A unit of Gaza 's Hamas-run police force said it killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed militia after detaining them early Thursday. Hours earlier, an Israel-supported aid group said Hamas attacked a bus carrying its Palestinian workers, killing at least eight of them. The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed. The Israeli military circulated the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation 's statement on its social media accounts but declined to provide its own account of what happened. Separately, at least 13 people were killed and 170 wounded when Israeli forces fired toward a crowd of Palestinians near a GHF food distribution site in central Gaza, according to the al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. The military said it fired warning shots overnight at a gathering that posed a threat, hundreds of meters (yards) from the aid site. Internet and phone lines were meanwhile down across Gaza, according to telecom provider Paltel and the Palestinian telecoms authority. They said a key line was severed during an Israeli operation and that the military would not allow technicians into the area to repair it. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. Previous blackouts have deepened Gaza's isolation and made it difficult for people to call first responders after airstrikes. Aid initiative already marred by controversy and violence The aid group's operations in Gaza have already been marred by controversy and violence since they began last month, with scores of people killed in near-daily shootings as crowds headed toward the food distribution sites inside Israeli military zones. Witnesses have blamed the Israeli military, which has acknowledged firing only warning shots near people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner. Earlier this week, witnesses also said Abu Shabab militiamen had opened fire on people en route to a GHF aid hub, killing and wounding many. The United Nations and major aid groups have rejected the Israeli and U.S.-backed initiative, accusing them of militarizing humanitarian aid at a time when experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and renewed military campaign. Last week, Israel acknowledged it is supporting armed groups of Palestinians in what it says is a move to counter Hamas. Abu Shabab's militia, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the food distribution points set up by the Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting U.N. trucks. GHF has denied working with the Abu Shabab group. 'They were aid workers' The foundation said Hamas had attacked a bus carrying more than two dozen of its local Palestinian aid workers near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least eight and wounding others. It said it feared some had been taken hostage. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' it said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives everyday to help others.' Rev. Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump who was recently appointed head of GHF, called the killings 'absolute evil' and lashed out at the U.N. and Western countries over what he said was their failure to condemn them. 'The principle of impartiality does not mean neutrality. There is good and evil in this world. What we are doing is good and what Hamas did to these Gazans is absolute evil,' he wrote on X. 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The killings early Wednesday were carried out by the Hamas-run police's Sahm unit, which Hamas says it established to combat looting. The unit released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Mohammed Abu Amin, a Khan Younis resident, said he was at the scene of the killings and that crowds were celebrating them, shouting 'God is greatest' and condemning those killed as traitors to the Palestinian cause and agents of Israel. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces and deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group, posted a statement online saying they clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the images shared by Sahm were of Abu Shabab fighters. The Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has denied any connection to the Abu Shabab group, but many of the militiamen identify themselves as PA officers. Mounting lawlessness as Israel steps up military campaign Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas and imposed a complete ban on imports of food, fuel, medicine and other aid before easing the blockade in mid-May. The ongoing war and mounting desperation have plunged Gaza into chaos, with armed gangs looting aid convoys and selling the stolen food. The Hamas-run police force has largely gone underground as Israel has repeatedly targeted its forces. The military now controls more than half of the territory. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostage. They are still holding 53 captives, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. Israel's offensive has flattened large areas of Gaza and driven around 90% of the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians from their homes. The territory is almost completely reliant on humanitarian aid because nearly all of its food production capabilities have been destroyed. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed. ___
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Awkward moment Greta Thunberg covers her head as she is flown out of Israel after failed bid to reach Gaza - and pilot praises IDF and wishes for the return of all hostages over the tanoy
Greta Thunberg appeared to cover her head with her coat as she was flown out of Israel after she and other activists attempted to reach Gaza on a 'freedom flotilla' aid ship. Passengers filmed and took pictures of Thunberg as she was being deported by Israeli authorities on Tuesday, a day after Israeli forces detained her and a crew of 11 others in international waters. The 22-year-old looked disheveled and tired as she sat at the back of the El Al jet from Ben Gurion to Paris, with a picture showing her putting her blue waterproof jacket on her head. A video clip circulating online appears to show her with the coat pulled all the way down over her face at another point in the journey. In a separate clip shared on social media, apparently from the same flight, a member of airline staff can be heard praising the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). 'We want to thank our security forces and the IDF for protecting our homeland and wish for the swift return of all hostages,' the voice, said to belong to the pilot, is heard saying. The announcement was met with cheers from passengers. The footage of Thunberg covering her face emerged after a campaigner who was detained alongside the prominent activist claimed that Israeli officials had deprived her of sleep during her time in detention. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said in response to the footage that Thunberg was 'exhausted' during the flight and was trying to rest when the video was taken. Thunberg and 11 other activists on the Madleen ship, who had planned to sail to Gaza to deliver aid, were intercepted by Israeli Navy boats in international waters in the early hours of Monday. The group was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where four, including Thunberg, agreed to be deported immediately. 'I did not recognize I entered Israel illegally,' Thunberg told reporters when she landed in Paris on Tuesday. 'We were kidnapped in international waters... this is a violation of international rights.' All of the activists have been banned from Israel for 100 years, the rights group that represents them said in a statement. The eight who were not deported were taken into custody after they refused to leave Israel voluntarily, rights group Adalah added. A spokesman for the FFC today commented on the footage of Thunberg on the plane: 'Greta was exhausted by the arrest and detention and wanted to rest peacefully, even though she had an uncomfortable seat. 'During the detention she could hardly sleep, the Israelis woke her up every time she fell asleep,' they added. 'The clip is vague and apart from the focus on her head, it shows nothing.' Thunberg, who arrived in France on the deportation flight before travelling home to Sweden, told reporters yesterday that 'people were not being treated well' during her detention. 'I was not able to to say goodbye to people and I don't know what's happening. And there were many, many issues,' she said. Pressed for details on her treatment, she described the experience as 'very dehumanising. 'But of course, I have to stress nothing compared to what Palestinians are going through. I would prefer not to go into detail,' she insisted. She went on: 'I do know that there were major issues with people actually getting to talk to lawyers. 'When you look at the state of the world, everything feels meaningless. But unless you try to do everything you can, we lose our hope.' Asked by reporters about a viral picture of her smiling as an Israeli soldier offered her a sandwich when the boat was intercepted, Thunberg branded the gesture a PR stunt. Israel had shared pictures of the crew receiving sandwiches and water from soldiers, and said the crew were 'safe and unharmed'. Fellow activist Baptiste Andre, who also returned on the deportation flight on Tuesday, told French media that 'there were acts of mistreatment' when Israeli authorities brought the group to the port of Ashdod. The French doctor said that there had been 'no acts of physical violence' against his team, but claimed that members of the group, 'especially Greta', were put through 'sleep deprivation' and experienced 'mockery' from officials. 'As soon as [Thunberg] fell asleep, the immigration services came to wake her up,' he said. He added that music was also 'turned up loud' and that members of the immigration services 'danced in front of us'. Andre also alleged that the group had 'difficulties in accessing water and food' during their more than 24 hours in detention. 'It took three hours to get a piece of bread,' he said, adding that the detainees had difficulty accessing food, water and toilets. Andre has since returned to France after being deported from Israel by plane on Tuesday. Israel is expected to expel four of the eight activists still in the country to France by the end of the week, the French foreign minister said Wednesday. An Israeli NGO earlier said that one of the French campaigners, along with a Brazilian activist, was briefly put in solitary confinement during their detention. Rima Hassan, a member of European Parliament from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party who is of Palestinian descent, was placed in solitary confinement, as was Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, with Hassan later removed, Israeli human rights group Adalah said. 'Israeli authorities transferred two of the volunteers, the Brazilian volunteer Thiago Avila and the French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan – to separate prison facilities, away from the others, and placed them in solitary confinement,' Adalah said in a statement.
