Star Metro - Gaza flotilla skipper vows to return

Mark van Rennes arrived back at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, greeted by dozens of supporters, some carrying Palestinian flags and banners reading "Free Palestine."

His ship, the Madleen, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left Italy on June 1 with the aim of delivering aid and challenging the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

Israel's military intercepted the vessel, which it dubbed the "selfie yacht", saying it was not authorised to travel to the war-torn area.

Asked if future missions could happen, Van Rennes said: "The blockade (of Gaza) has been going for 18 years and it's still ongoing."

"The oppression of the Palestinians is ongoing. As long as that is ongoing, the flotilla will go on as well," he added.

After being taken to an Israeli port, Thunberg and three other activists agreed to be deported immediately.

But Israeli authorities detained eight others, who appeared before an immigration tribunal before being sent back to their home countries.

Van Rennes was supposed to return to the Netherlands on Friday but Israel airspace was closed due to the ongoing conflict with Iran.

He said his conditions while being held in Israel were "not ideal" and he went to hospital twice in Jordan on his way back, but did not give more details.

"I think the focus should be on the more than 10,000 Palestinians who are now still in detention camps who are in much worse conditions, being tortured and humiliated every day," he told AFP.

The war was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to official Israeli figures.

The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out reached 55,493 people, according to the health ministry health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

The war has ravaged the Gaza Strip, with shortages of food, fuel and clean water.

P.Beaulieu--SMC