Thirteen Brazilian citizens detained by Israel while participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla have been deported and are now in Jordan. The vessels were intercepted by Israeli forces about 120 kilometers off the coast of Gaza last week, as they attempted to break the maritime blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged territory.
The activists were released following negotiations led by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry, with assistance from its embassies in Tel Aviv and Amman. They were received by Brazilian diplomats and transported to the Jordanian capital.
In an official statement, the Brazilian government stressed that the flotilla “was peaceful in nature and attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza when it was intercepted in international waters by Israeli military forces.” The statement condemned the operation and urged “the international community to demand that Israel end the blockade of Gaza, which constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law.”
Beyond the 13 Brazilians, another 118 international activists from the flotilla were also deported on Tuesday (7). In total, the mission included around 40 vessels and 420 participants from various countries. All had been held at the Ketziot detention center in Israel’s Negev desert.
Another Brazilian, Nicolas Calabrese, had already been deported over the weekend. He traveled through Turkey and Portugal before arriving in Rio de Janeiro late Monday (6).
Among the Brazilians deported are federal lawmaker Luizianne Lins (Workers’ Party–PT), flotilla organizer Thiago Ávila, Campinas city councilor Mariana Conti (Socialism and Freedom Party–PSOL), PSOL-RS chair Gabi Tolotti, USP worker and CSP-Conlutas activist Bruno Gilga, grassroots communicator Lisiane Proença, SINTUSP union director Magno Costa, land rights lawyer Ariadne Telles, Islamic History project founder Mansur Peixoto, Latin Palestinian Forum president Mohamad El Kadri, and internationalist activist Lucas Gusmão.
