Israeli Court Extends Detention of 2 Gaza Flotilla Activists from Spain and Brazil by 2 Days
An Israeli court extended the detention of Spanish and Brazilian activists Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila until May 5 after their arrest from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. The governments of Spain and Brazil called the detentions illegal in a joint statement. The activists deny charges of aiding terrorist groups and report abuse during transfer.
citizen.co.zaAn Israeli court in Ashkelon extended the detention of two activists by two days until May 5, a court spokesperson said. Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Thiago Avila, a Brazilian, appeared before the court on Sunday after Israeli authorities detained them late on Wednesday.
The pair were arrested aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday.
The activists were part of the second Global Sumud flotilla, which consisted of more than 50 vessels that set sail from France, Spain, and Italy. The ships departed from Barcelona on April 12 with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory.
More than 100 pro-Palestinian activists aboard the boats were taken to the Greek island of Crete, while Israel released all but two of some 175 activists removed from the flotilla in Greece.
Israeli authorities requested a four-day extension of the activists' arrest on suspicion of offenses including assisting the enemy during wartime, contact with a foreign agent, membership in and providing services to a terrorist organization, and the transfer of property for a terrorist organization, rights group Adalah said.
Hadeel Abu Salih, the men's attorney, said the two deny the allegations. "Their arrest was unlawful due to a lack of jurisdiction," Abu Salih told reporters at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court after the hearing.
She added that the mission of the flotilla was meant to provide aid to civilians in Gaza, not to any militant group. The lawyers for Abu Keshek and Avila said the activists testified to severe physical abuse amounting to torture, including being beaten and held in isolation and blindfolded for days at sea.
Abu Salih said the pair were subjected to violence en route to Israel and kept handcuffed and blindfolded until Thursday morning.
Israel's foreign ministry called the flotilla organizers "professional provocateurs" and stated that Israel will not allow the breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza. " The governments of Spain and Brazil issued a joint statement on Friday calling the detention of Abu Keshek and Avila illegal.
In a separate incident, the Israeli Army intercepted a drone in an area where its forces are operating in southern Lebanon and is verifying the results.
, Omar Majed, a 19-year-old man from Washwood Heath, Birmingham, has been charged with false communications relating to a bomb hoax. West Midlands Police said Majed has been remanded in custody and will appear before magistrates in Birmingham on May 4.
The charge stems from an evacuation of Birmingham's Utilita Arena ordered on Friday night after a report of a suspicious bag during a Peter Kay gig. Peter Kay was rushed off-stage, and crowds were ordered to leave. West Midlands Police confirmed nothing suspicious was found after searches.
Saturday night's Peter Kay performance at Utilita Arena will go ahead as planned, the venue said. Utilita Arena confirmed that West Midlands Police are satisfied with the security measures in place.
Transparency
Rewrite largely strips loaded language but retains lede_misdirection by centering court extension of detention over the substantive Gaza flotilla interception and aid mission.
Lede misdirection: leads with procedural detention ruling instead of flotilla interception in international waters
The same facts could be read as Israel lawfully intercepting vessels attempting to breach a naval blockade of a hostile territory during wartime, detaining two foreign nationals suspected of providing material support to a designated terrorist organization.
10 independent outlets report the same core facts. This score blends how many outlets corroborate, their editorial tier, and how closely their facts agree — it measures corroboration, not proof.
Sources framed at 65 → our rewrite 55. We stripped 10 points of framing the sources carried in.
Story details
Related Stories
Japan TimesIsraeli Forces Cross Litani River, Seize Beaufort Castle in Lebanon
Israeli troops crossed the Litani River and seized the historic Beaufort castle near Nabatieh on Sunday. The move marks Israel's broadest ground incursion into Lebanon in 25 years.
rediff.comIran Demands Concrete Sanctions Relief Before Any Nuclear Deal With U.S.
Iran's parliament speaker stated that Tehran will not approve any agreement until it receives firm guarantees. The remarks come amid stalled talks and recent U.S. strikes on an Iranian port city.
ForbesBundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in Congo: Five Patients Recover as Cases Reach 134 Confirmed with 18 Deaths
WHO reports five recoveries as 134 confirmed cases and 18 deaths are tallied across Congo and Uganda. A new treatment center opened in Bunia amid security and community challenges.