Six activists deported from Israel after intercepted Gaza Flotilla, two still remain in custody
The Israeli foreign ministry has deported six out of eight international activists who were detained in Israel after their vessel was intercepted while attempting to breach the naval blockade on Gaza. The activists were held for over 72 hours after the seizure of the Madleen Freedom Flotilla in international waters.
Israeli human rights organisation Adalah, which has been providing legal counsel to the activists, confirmed that the remaining two are still in Israeli custody. They are scheduled for deportation on Friday. Among those already deported is French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan. In a statement on X, the Israeli foreign ministry shared images of the activists boarding a flight, adding a pointed message: "Bye-bye- and don't forget to take a selfie before you leave."
Following her release, Hassan confirmed through a social media that she had left prison and invited supporters to join her at Place de la République in Paris later that evening.
The other deported activists include Mark van Rennes from the Netherlands, Suayb Ordu from Turkey, Yasemin Acar from Germany, Thiago Avila from Brazil and Reva Viard from France. Adalah identified the two activists still in custody as French nationals Pascal Maurieras and Yanis Mhamdi. They are being held at Givon prison pending their scheduled deportation.
In its statement, Adalah raised concerns over the activists' treatment during their detention. It also reported instances of mistreatment, punitive actions and periods of solitary confinement for some detainees. The organisation demanded for the immediate release of all eight individuals and criticised Israel’s actions as violations of international law.
The Israeli foreign ministry earlier stated that any detainees refusing to sign deportation papers would be subjected to legal proceedings in accordance with domestic laws to enforce their removal from the country.
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CM Siddaramaiah urges Centre to increase LPG supply
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the Centre to immediately intervene to address a severe shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru, saying the crisis is forcing restaurants and related establishments to shut down and impacting a wide cross-section of the public dependent on the hospitality sector.
In a letter written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday and shared with the media on Thursday, Siddaramaiah highlighted a sharp mismatch between demand and supply, noting that only a fraction of the required cylinders is being made available.
“As against the demand of 50,000 LPG cylinders from restaurants, hotels, catering establishments and PG accommodations etc., we are able to supply only 1,000 cylinders per day,” the Chief Minister said.
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He added that the shortage has led to a visible increase in shutting down of establishments due to unavailability of commercial LPG, affecting students, IT professionals, farmers, dairy producers and others reliant on the hospitality ecosystem.
Referring to recent directions from the Ministry prioritising domestic LPG supply, Siddaramaiah said the State has taken steps to regulate allocation for essential segments in line with the Centre’s guidelines, but the situation remains critical.
The CM also flagged the absence of an integrated monitoring system for commercial LPG distribution, in contrast to the existing IT system for domestic gas supply, leading to gaps in transparency and oversight.
He further pointed out that Auto LPG, a key fuel for autorickshaws that provide last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru, is also facing similar issues due to the lack of a monitoring mechanism.
Noting that India is expected to receive two LPG tankers soon, Siddaramaiah sought the Union Minister’s intervention to ensure adequate allocation to Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, considering its operational needs and dependency patterns.
“I request your kind intervention to ensure adequate allocation and availability of commercial LPG and Auto LPG to Karnataka, keeping in view the operational requirements and unique dependency patterns of the State, especially city of Bengaluru,” he said.
