Seven Australians are still stuck in an Israeli jail after their boat was stopped while trying to take aid supplies to Gaza. Israel let go of 171 other people from the boat yesterday, including famous climate protester Greta Thunberg, but the Aussies haven’t been released yet. The Australian government said they’re checking on them and visiting them in jail. Officials said they’ve told Israel these people need to be looked after properly while they’re locked up, but they can’t say much more because of privacy rules.
Thunberg Gets Sent Back Home Along With Hundreds of Others
Israel sent back 171 people to Greece and Slovakia yesterday after arresting them on boats that were heading to Gaza with aid. The people came from all over – places like Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, and even America. Greta Thunberg landed in Athens yesterday afternoon, and lots of people were waiting for her at the airport. They were shouting “Free Palestine” and holding up signs when she and the others walked out. Israel posted pictures online showing Thunberg and other people wearing white t-shirts and grey sweatpants.
When Thunberg talked to reporters at the airport, she got pretty emotional. She said she could talk for ages about how badly they got treated in jail, but that’s not what matters most. What really matters is what’s happening to people in Gaza right now. She wants world leaders and regular folks everywhere to stop helping Israel do what she calls the murder of the Palestinian people. Israel’s government got angry about this and said that it’s completely wrong. They say they’re not doing anything like that at all.
People Still in Jail Say They Got Beaten Up and Treated Badly
A lawyer helping the boat people said around 150 folks are still sitting in an Israeli prison called Ktziot right now. That includes Nelson Mandela’s grandson, whose name is Mandla Mandela. The lawyer’s name is Lubna Tuma, and she said 40 of the people locked up have stopped eating food. They’re on what’s called a hunger strike. A bunch of them said they want their food to go to the starving people in Gaza instead. Some won’t even drink water until the jail gives everyone proper medical help.
Tuma said the whole thing has been wrong from the start. Israeli soldiers grabbed the boats while they were still out in international waters, which isn’t supposed to happen. Then they dragged everyone to Israel and threw them in a really tough maximum security prison. She said people got hit and pushed around and treated like garbage. Some of the folks who already got sent home to places like Spain and the Netherlands told similar stories about getting roughed up. A former mayor from Barcelona who was on the boat said the jail had no proper rules and nobody respected their rights, though she admitted it’s nothing compared to what Palestinians deal with every day. Israel completely denies all of this and says everyone got treated fine.
News At Glance
- Seven Australians are still sitting in an Israeli jail after an aid boat was stopped
- Israel let go of 171 people from 19 countries, including Greta Thunberg
- About 150 people are still locked up, 40 of them refusing to eat
- People who got out say they got beaten and treated really badly
- Israel says that’s all lies, and everyone got treated properly
FAQs
- Why did Israel arrest these Australians?
They were on boats trying to bring food and medicine to Gaza by getting past Israel’s naval blockade.
- Did they let Greta Thunberg leave?
Yes, she got sent back to Greece yesterday with 170 other people.
- How many people are still stuck in jail?
Around 150 people are still locked up in a prison called Ktziot.
- What’s Australia doing to help get them out?
The government is visiting them in jail and telling Israel to treat them properly.
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