Bahraini officials visit detention center holding Bahraini, Kuwaiti citizens in Israel

By Hussien Elkabany and Ikram Kouachi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Bahrain said on Saturday that its officials visited a detention center in Israel where Bahraini and Kuwaiti nationals are being held after participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy that sought to break the blockade on Gaza.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had contacted Israeli authorities “to follow up on the conditions of Bahraini and Kuwaiti citizens detained by Israeli security forces,” without specifying the number of those held.

It confirmed that a delegation “visited the detention facility to meet the detainees and check on their safety and health.”

Bahrain, which signed the Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020, stressed it is coordinating closely with Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry and pledged to “continue following up on the situation of Bahraini and Kuwaiti citizens while adhering to all necessary legal procedures to ensure their safe return as soon as possible.”

On Thursday, Manama had said it was working to secure the release of Gulf nationals, including Bahrainis, detained in Israel, while Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed it was monitoring the case of its citizens who joined the flotilla.

According to the official flotilla tracker, at least three Kuwaiti and one Bahraini nationals were aboard the international aid convoy.

The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza said Saturday that Israeli forces had “pirated and abducted the Global Sumud Flotilla,” which included dozens of vessels carrying humanitarian aid and around 500 activists from over 45 countries.

The group described the raid as “a blatant war crime violating humanitarian and international law.”

On Friday, flotilla organizers announced that the Israeli navy attacked all 42 ships in the convoy. The UN called the attack “unacceptable.”

Israel’s prison authority said about 200 activists were interrogated and subjected to thorough searches before being transferred to Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert for further procedures.

Israel has attacked aid ships bound for Gaza previously as well, seizing vessels and deporting activists on board.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 66,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The blockade and bombardment have also triggered famine, which has claimed 459 lives, including 154 children.