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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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
