Some 137 activists detained by Israel for taking part in a flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Gaza are being flown to Istanbul, Turkey's foreign ministry said on Saturday.
People gather on a boat from a flotilla that had been carrying aid to Gaza until it was intercepted by Israel, docked in the port of Larnaca, Cyprus October 3, 2025. Reuters/Yiannis Kourtoglou
Some 137 activists detained by Israel for taking part in a flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Gaza are being flown to Istanbul, Turkey's foreign ministry said on Saturday.
The individuals include 36 Turkish nationals, as well as citizens from the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia and Jordan, ministry sources added.
The Turkish Airlines flight is expected to land sometime after 3:40 p.m. local time (1240 GMT), the ministry said.
MORE THAN 450 ACTIVISTS DETAINED
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 26 Italians were on board, with another 15 still held in Israel and set to be expelled next week - along with activists from other nations.
Israel has faced international condemnation after its military intercepted all of about 40 boats in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza and detained more than 450 activists.
"I have once again given instructions to the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to ensure that the remaining compatriots are treated with respect for their rights", Tajani wrote on X.
A first group of Italians from the flotilla - four parliamentarians - arrived in Rome on Friday.
"Those who were acting legally were the people aboard those boats; those who acted illegally were those who prevented them from reaching Gaza", Arturo Scotto, one of the Italian lawmakers who took part in the mission, told a press conference in Rome.
"We were brutally stopped ... brutally taken hostage", said Benedetta Scuderi, another Italian parliamentarian.
ZIP-TIED ON THEIR KNEES FOR HOURS
Israel's foreign ministry wrote on X that all detained activists were "safe and in good health", adding it was keen to complete the deportations "as quickly as possible".
The flotilla, which set sail in late August, marked the latest attempt by activists to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian enclave Gaza, where Israel has been waging a war since Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023.
Israeli officials repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt and warned it against violating a "lawful naval blockade".
Writing by Ece Toksabay
President Tayyip Erdogan told U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in a phone call on Friday that Turkey welcomed efforts to reach peace in the region, but that Israel must stop its attacks for efforts to be successful, the Turkish presidency said.
A 5.0-magnitude earthquake rattled buildings in Turkey's largest city Istanbul on Thursday, sending some people rushing out to the streets, Reuters witnesses and the AFAD disaster agency said
Most of the vessels from the so-called “Gaza flotilla” have been intercepted by the Israeli Navy, with passengers set to be expelled in the coming days. Despite the fact that all detainees are reportedly in good health and have suffered no violence, Ankara has reacted with outrage.
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