GENEVA

Spain's foreign minister announced Monday that 28 Spaniards, still detained in Israel after taking part in the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, will be repatriated later in the day, following the return of 21 others on Sunday.

Speaking on Catalunya Radio on Monday, Jose Manuel Albares said he had spoken with the families of the 28 Spaniards who remain in prison to inform them that during the day, "if there are no last minute changes," they will leave Israel bound for Spain.

"That is the idea and that is what we have already officially confirmed with Israel," he said, while stressing caution until "everyone is sitting on the plane and with the plane in the air."

The minister underlined that just as with the group of 21 citizens, Foreign Affairs has offered to "completely" take charge of the repatriation and its cost. He also said his ministry is going to "do everything necessary" so that "they arrive in Spain as quickly as possible."

The first group, which landed at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport on Sunday, included former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau and Republican Left of Catalonia councilor Jordi Coronas. Several of the activists described abusive treatment while in Israeli custody.

They said they did not have access to lawyers nor were they able to contact their families, according to the Spanish EFE news agency. They reported not receiving medical assistance, while some were deprived of drinking water and necessary medications, including insulin required by two diabetic detainees, which they said they only received three days after their arrest.

According to their account, armed personnel entered the cells with dogs and pointed them at their heads. They said they were deprived of sleep, moved between cells to prevent them from resting, and were treated "worse than animals."

Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla beginning Wednesday and detained more than 470 activists from over 50 countries.

The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.

Israel has maintained the blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years.

Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it all but uninhabitable.