Tel Aviv: Two activists who were detained by Israel earlier this week on a Gaza-bound boat have been released and have left Israel, as confirmed by Turkish diplomatic sources. The activists, Turkish citizen Suayb Ordu and German citizen Yasemin Acar, were on board the vessel Madleen when it was intercepted by Israeli forces.

According to Anadolu Agency, the British-flagged vessel Madleen embarked on its journey from Sicily, Italy, on June 6, aiming to break the Israeli naval blockade on Gaza. The vessel, carrying a 12-member crew, was seized in international waters by Israeli forces early Monday. The blockade-breaking mission was a response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where over 55,000 people have been killed in a deadly onslaught since October 2023.

The crew of the Madleen included notable activists such as Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg, as well as Rima Hassan, Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi, and Reva Viard from France. Also on board were Thiago Avila from Brazil, Sergio Toribio from Spain, Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands, and Omar Faiad, a journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher from France. The international team aimed to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and challenge the blockade imposed by Israel.