Seoul says 2 South Korean activists released after Israeli detention aboard Gaza aid flotilla

South Korea said Thursday that Israel has released two South Korean nationals detained earlier this week aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud aid flotilla.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung welcomed the release of the activists Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla said Tuesday that all 50 vessels in its convoy had been seized by Israel.

The Lina Al Nabulsi was carrying South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyun and Korean American activist Jonathan Victor Lee, while the Kyriakos X was carrying South Korean activist Kim Dong-hyeon.

On Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung condemned Israel’s detention of two South Korean activists and directed officials to consider an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a South Korean media report.

Lee questioned the legal basis for intercepting the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid, asking whether the vessel had entered Israeli territorial waters or violated any recognized boundary.

The flotilla departed last Thursday from the Turkish district of Marmaris in a new attempt to break the illegal Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007.

This was not the first such incident involving the flotilla.

In late April, the Israeli army attacked flotilla boats in international waters off the Greek island of Crete. The convoy at the time included 345 participants from 39 countries, including Turkish citizens.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000 and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.