Hundreds of activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), including Greta Thunberg and Nelson Mandela's grandson Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, are being held in the Israeli port city of Ashdod, where Israeli authorities say deportation procedures will begin soon.
The fate of the detainees, seized in international waters while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, has now become the central question in a growing diplomatic storm, amid outrage worldwide.
So far, Israeli forces have detained a total of 223 activists, including doctors, parliamentarians, and human rights defenders, from the Global Sumud Flotilla during its interception on the way to Gaza, according to official statements by organisers.
Israel's foreign ministry said detainees would be deported to Europe once the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday ends, but rights groups warn that with courts closed during the holiday, many could be left in limbo.
Adalah, a Haifa-based legal centre, called the seizures an "illegal abduction of civilians" and said it would represent activists before Israeli authorities.
In a later statement, the group said its lawyers were being denied access to the activists.
"Adalah has received phone calls from participants reporting that immigration authorities have already begun conducting hearings on their deportation and detention orders, in the Ashdod port," it said in a statement. "These proceedings were initiated without prior notice to their lawyers and while denying participants access to legal counsel."
It warned that this would constitute "a grave violation of due process and a denial of the participants’ fundamental rights".
Video footage released by Israel's foreign ministry showed Swedish climate activist Thunberg seated on a deck surrounded by soldiers. Multiple international and South African media outlets also reported that Mandla Mandela was among those forcibly taken by Israeli forces while sailing as part of the same flotilla.
Governments are pushing for access to their citizens. Italy confirmed that its diplomats were instructed to assist those detained. France, Belgium, Ireland, and the UK have all demanded consular rights, while Malaysia and Turkey have issued sharp condemnations.
South Africa: a 'grave offence'
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that Israel's attack on the flotilla was a "grave offence" against international law and a violation of solidarity efforts to alleviate Gaza's suffering.
"The interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla is another grave offence by Israel against global solidarity and sentiment that is aimed at relieving suffering in Gaza and advancing peace in the region," Ramaphosa said.
He added that the raid in international waters also violated an International Court of Justice (ICJ) injunction ordering Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza without obstruction.
South Africa has already taken Israel to the ICJ over its genocide in Gaza, which has killed over 66,000 people.
Mandla Mandela, before joining the flotilla, told Reuters that Palestinians' lives under Israeli occupation were "worse than anything Black South Africans experienced under apartheid".
Protests and diplomatic fallout
The Israeli raid has triggered angry protests in cities across Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Demonstrators rallied outside embassies in Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Berlin, and Mexico City, condemning the seizure as piracy and demanding freedom for those detained.
The Palestinian foreign ministry denounced the Israeli aggression, insisting the flotilla had the right to free passage in international waters.
Turkey described the raid as a "terrorist act" that violated international law and endangered civilian lives.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Israel had trampled the "conscience of the world" and vowed to pursue all lawful means to hold it accountable.
In Latin America, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the expulsion of Israeli diplomats and the suspension of his country’s free trade agreement with Israel.
In Europe, Irish President Michael D Higgins accused Israel of blocking essential aid, while the United Kingdom expressed "serious concern" and confirmed it was in contact with the families of British nationals on board.
Belgium and France also pressed for consular access to their citizens, with Paris calling for the detainees to be allowed to return "without undue delay".
The United Nations has yet to issue an official response, but Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on Palestine, condemned the raid as an "illegal abduction" and accused Western governments of enabling Israel through "complicit inaction".
What happens next?
Israel claims that all detainees will be deported, but rights groups caution that some could face longer detentions if Israel seeks to impose entry bans or press charges under its security laws. The delay caused by Yom Kippur means activists remain in uncertain conditions.
In previous flotilla attempts, participants were generally not criminally prosecuted but treated as immigration cases. Most were quickly deported, often after signing removal orders, while those who refused were taken before a tribunal and still expelled, usually with lengthy bans on re-entry.
Some, like French MEP Rima Hassan, previously faced harsher treatment, including solitary confinement.
Adalah, an Israeli legal centre that has represented flotilla detainees, says those detained overnight are being transferred to the port of Ashdod before processing by the immigration authority.
They are expected to be held in Ketziot Prison, a high-security facility in southern Israel known for its harsh conditions. Lawyers warn that the sheer number of detainees could strain Israel’s system and increase the risk of rights violations.
For high-profile figures like Thunberg and Mandela, intense diplomatic pressure is likely to speed up deportation and response. For others, from students to trade unionists, outcomes will depend on the responsiveness of their governments.
Rights groups have also flagged recent proposals by Israeli ministers, including Itamar Ben-Gvir, to impose longer detentions on repeat participants, raising concerns that this flotilla could be treated more harshly than previous missions.
Flotilla organisers say around 30 vessels remain at sea, still attempting to reach Gaza despite the heavy Israeli naval presence.