JERUSALEM — Israel on Thursday said it deported six more activists who were detained when it seized an aid boat bound for the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
The six included Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament who Israel had previously barred from entering Israel and the Palestinian territories, citing her support for boycotts of the country.
Israel's Foreign Ministry, which has dismissed the aid boat as a publicity stunt, posted a photo of Hassan on what appeared to be an airplane.
''Six more passengers from the ‘selfie yacht,' including Rima Hassan, are on their way out of Israel,'' the ministry wrote on X. ''Bye-bye — and don't forget to take a selfie before you leave.''
They were among 12 passengers, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aboard the Madleen, a boat that sought to break Israel's blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid. Israel seized the vessel early Monday and deported Thunberg and three others the following day.
The last two activists are expected to be deported on Friday, according to Adalah, a local human rights group representing them.
It said the activists were subjected to ''mistreatment, punitive measures, and aggressive treatment, and two volunteers were held for some period of time in solitary confinement.''
Israeli authorities declined to comment on their treatment. Israel says it treats detainees in a lawful manner and investigates any allegations of abuse.
