The 27 Greek activists who are members of the Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza are returning to Athens today, Monday (6/10), after being detained by Israeli authorities since last Thursday following the interception of their ships. According to an announcement by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday afternoon, the detained Greeks are expected to be released today, and by order of Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, a special flight will be arranged to the nearby Eilat-Ramon International Airport to pick them up and return them safely to Athens the same day.
Global Sumud Flotilla: Foreign ministry announces activists’ return
“A delegation from the Greek Embassy in Tel Aviv, headed by the Greek Ambassador to Israel, visited today, Sunday October 5, the detention center where the 27 Greek citizens participating in the ‘Global Sumud Flotilla’ are being held. All are in good health and are being provided with all necessary support.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek Embassy in Tel Aviv are in constant communication with all levels of the Israeli foreign ministry administration to ensure repatriation procedures are completed immediately.
By order of Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, tomorrow, Monday October 6, 2025, a special flight will be conducted to the nearby Eilat-Ramon International Airport to pick up the Greek citizens and return them safely to Athens the same day.”
It should be noted that the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains in constant communication with Israeli diplomacy, aiming to complete procedures as soon as possible. The Greek Ambassador to Tel Aviv, Magia Solomou, visited the Ketziot detention center to ensure the 27, who are all in good health, that all necessary support is being provided.
Times of Israel: At least 70 deportees flown to Athens – Thunberg among them
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is among at least 70 people of different nationalities, including 28 French, 27 Greeks, 15 Italians and nine Swedes, who will leave Israel on Monday and be flown to Greece, from where they can take flights to their home countries, according to the Times of Israel.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated on X that the 15 Italians will receive assistance for their subsequent transfer to Italy.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry has not yet confirmed that Greta Thunberg will be transferred to Athens, but Swedish media reported that she is among the deported activists being transferred to Greece from Israel’s southern Ramon Airport.
Twenty-one Spaniards returned separately to Spain on Sunday from Israel, while 28 remain in detention.
Total of 170 Global Sumud Flotilla activists have been deported
In total, 170 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla have been deported so far. Those remaining are being held at Ketziot prison, under conditions their legal representative has characterized as substandard.
On Sunday evening, a Spanish activist caused a disturbance at the prison by biting a medical staff member, according to Israeli reports.
Thunberg told the Swedish Embassy on Saturday that she suffered from dehydration, having received “inadequate amounts of water and food.”
The Swedish embassy announced that Greta describes “rashes, which she suspects were caused by bed bugs. She spoke of harsh treatment and said she sat for long periods on hard surfaces.”
While Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegations of mistreatment as “brazen lies,” far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said he was proud that the activists were being treated like terrorists. “All legal rights of detainees are fully guaranteed,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
The hunger strike of 11 Greeks and the complaint
It should be recalled that after the detention of the 27 Greeks, 11 of them had begun a hunger strike, demanding an end to what they characterize as their illegal detention. Meanwhile, Antonis Faras, a member of the March to Gaza Greece initiative, spoke to Parapolitika 90.1 and the “Dialogues” show with Jouli Tsinga on Saturday, denouncing that while they are in good health with high morale, they remained without food and water until at least late Saturday night. “The most urgent problem is that those taking medication do not have access to it. They have not been given it even though they had their medicines with them,” said Antonis Faras, clarifying that this is also happening with Pantelis Louvros, a crew member of the Greek ship in the Global Sumud Flotilla fleet. He clarified, however, that this was the last information they had from Israel late Saturday night and added that 11 members of the Greek mission have proceeded with a hunger strike.
