Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced that the participants in the flotilla which was intercepted while attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza last night would be transferred to Greek territory and will not be detained in Israel.
"So far, Israel - through the IDF - has successfully blocked attempts to breach the lawful naval blockade on Gaza and the arrival of vessels from the provocative flotilla, including last night," Sa'ar stated,
"All participants in the provocative flotilla who were taken off the vessels were taken off unharmed," he said. "In coordination with the Greek government, the individuals transferred from the flotilla vessels to the Israeli vessel will be disembarked on a Greek beach in the coming hours."
Sa'ar thanked the Greek government for its willingness to receive the flotilla participants and said: "We call on anyone who is not interested in provocations but rather in humanitarian aid to Gaza to do so through the BOP, which also issued a statement on the matter today."
"Israel will not allow the breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza," Sa'ar concluded.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated in response to the interception of the latest Gaza flotilla: "Well done to our Navy! I instructed them to prevent the flotilla of Hamas supporters from reaching the shores of Gaza. The mission was carried out with complete success: not a single ship and not a single Hamas supporter reached our territory, or even our territorial waters. They were turned back and will return to their countries of origin. They will continue to watch Gaza on YouTube."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sharply criticized the decision to release the flotilla participants. "The unfortunate decision of the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister - made in secret and in the dark - to release most of the flotilla participants without arrest and to allow the violation of Israel's sovereignty just because of Erdogan's threats, is a message of weakness towards Israel's enemies and the spreaders of antisemitism in the world," Ben-Gvir said.
The minister added that the move contradicts previous discussions and decisions by professional bodies that demanded the arrest of the participants. "This decision is contrary to my position, and I demand that it be rescinded."
The flotilla, which departed from several countries including Turkey, Spain, and Italy, included more than 100 vessels and around 1,000 participants. The vessels were intercepted as they approached the Gaza coast late Wednesday night.