The French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, who was on the activist ship en route to Gaza, is in solitary confinement in Israel. This is stated on her X account. She is also on a hunger strike. She may be deported to France on Thursday or Friday.
Hassan was one of the twelve occupants of the ship the Madleen, which also carried climate activist Greta Thunberg. The ship was en route to Gaza with aid supplies. Israeli soldiers boarded the Madleen on the night of Sunday to Monday.
Israel is still holding eight occupants. “Rima has been placed in solitary confinement after writing ‘Free Palestine’ on the wall of her cell,” supporters say via Hassen’s X account. She has also started a hunger strike. Hassan is a member of the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI).
According to the Israeli human rights organization Adalah, Brazilian Thiago Ávila is also in solitary confinement. He is also on a hunger strike.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, says that the four French citizens who are still being held will be deported on Thursday or Friday and can travel to France. Hassan is one of them. Her party LFI had previously accused the French authorities of inactivity.
The Dutch activist Mark van Rennes, who was captain of the ship, would also be deported on Thursday. His parents announced this on Wednesday.
Israel gave the activists the choice to leave the country immediately or to initiate a deportation procedure. Four activists, including Thunberg, opted for the former. They are now back in their home country. Thunberg said that the Israeli authorities did not treat the activists well, but did not want to elaborate.