ISTANBUL

Israel has released all but one of the Spanish nationals it had unlawfully detained from the Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla, the country’s foreign minister said on Monday.

Jose Manuel Albares announced that, following the release of 21 activists who arrived in Madrid from Tel Aviv on Saturday, another 27 Spanish participants were freed on Sunday.

In a post on US social media company X, Albares said the 27 activists were “on their way to Spain,” adding that Madrid would “continue to provide diplomatic and consular protection until the last Spaniard is released.”

According to Spanish media reports, one Spanish activist remains in Israeli custody, accused of biting an Israeli prison doctor during a Sunday medical examination at Ketziot Prison.

The group of 27 Spaniards are expected to arrive in Madrid later Monday night.

The flotilla, made up of activists from various nations, had set sail to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza when it was attacked by Israeli forces in international waters last week.

Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla beginning on Wednesday, detaining more than 470 activists from over 50 countries. The flotilla was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.

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

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza — most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable, with widespread starvation and the spread of disease.