Four Dutch activists from the Gaza flotilla are safe in Madrid and are returning to the Netherlands today.
Four Dutch activists who were detained in Israel after participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla have been released and have safely arrived in Madrid on their way to the Netherlands today, according to a spokesperson for the flotilla. The group is expected to land at Schiphol Airport this afternoon after leaving Israel accompanied by Spanish and Portuguese activists on Sunday evening.
These four were among more than 450 international activists arrested by Israeli authorities while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of a fleet of 40 ships. Among the detainees were 16 individuals connected to the Netherlands — ten holding Dutch nationality and six residing in the country from other nationalities.
A spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that embassy staff in Madrid provided assistance to the four activists and are working to ensure their safe return to the Netherlands. A member of the Dutch delegation in the fleet also reported that one of the six residents in the Netherlands who do not hold Dutch nationality has also been released, along with a Portuguese citizen residing in the Netherlands, without specifying their return date yet.
The ministry emphasized its commitment to ensuring good treatment and the swift release of the remaining six Dutch citizens who are still detained in Israel. The arrests have sparked a wave of protests around the world, including in the Netherlands. Last Thursday, The Hague police arrested 205 people during a demonstration at the central train station, while around 250,000 people participated in the 'Red Line' march in Amsterdam over the weekend, protesting the war in Gaza.
These developments come amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which erupted two years ago following an attack by Hamas on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,137 people. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched military operations that have claimed the lives of at least 67,139 Palestinians, including more than 19,000 children, and injured over 169,000 others, according to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported by Al Jazeera. The ongoing blockade has also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, with 459 residents of Gaza dying from starvation, including 154 children and infants.