Athens lodged a strong written protest following the statements by Israeli Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called for the Gaza flotilla activists to be imprisoned “for a few months” instead of being deported.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following instructions from Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, the protest was delivered to the Israeli ambassador in Athens. A similar démarche had previously been made by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou. The protest calls on the Israeli side to swiftly carry out the prescribed procedures and to respect citizens’ rights.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Greek Embassy in Tel Aviv visited the detention center in Israel where the 27 Greek citizens who took part in the “Global Sumud Flotilla” are being held. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the detainees are in good health, and all necessary procedures are under way to ensure their safe repatriation.