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Israel Says Two Gaza Flotilla Activists Brought in for Questioning

Vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted on international waters by the Israeli Navy, sail off the city of Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted on international waters by the Israeli Navy, sail off the city of Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)
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Israel Says Two Gaza Flotilla Activists Brought in for Questioning

Vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted on international waters by the Israeli Navy, sail off the city of Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)
Vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted on international waters by the Israeli Navy, sail off the city of Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, May 1, 2026. (Reuters)

Two activists who participated in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have been brought to Israel for questioning, the foreign ministry said Saturday, after the vessels were intercepted by Israeli forces.

The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from ports in France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking an Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory.

They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday.

Israel said it had removed around 175 activists from the flotilla, but organizers accused Israeli personnel of "kidnapping" 211 people.

Two of them, Saif Abu Keshek from Spain and Thiago Avila, a Brazilian, were taken to Israel "for questioning by law enforcement authorities", the foreign ministry said on X.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares denounced Israel's detention of Abu Keshek as "illegal", warning it came at a moment of already deteriorating ties between the two countries.

"We are facing an illegal detention in international waters, outside any jurisdiction of the Israeli authorities so Saif Abu Keshek must be released immediately so that he can return to Spain," Albares told Rac1 radio.

"This is an episode that further strains our relationship... (with Israel) because of how unacceptable this situation is, because a state does not conduct itself in this manner."

- Worsening ties -

Ties between Israel and Spain have nosedived since the Gaza war sparked by the October 2023 Hamas cross-border attacks, with Israel angered by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's unrelenting criticism of its bombardment of the Palestinian territory.

Both countries have withdrawn their ambassadors.

Israel's foreign ministry said the two activists were affiliated with an organization that was sanctioned by the US Treasury.

That group -- the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) -- has been accused by Washington of "clandestinely acting on behalf of" Palestinian group Hamas.

The Treasury said the organization had played a role in organizing other Gaza-bound flotillas aimed at breaking Israel's blockade.

Israel's foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was a leading member of the PCPA. It said Avila was also linked to the organization and was "suspected of illegal activity".

"Both will receive a consular visit from the representatives of their respective countries in Israel," the ministry said.

Albares rejected the allegation, saying: "The information I myself have requested indicates that no link can be established between Saif Abu Keshek and Hamas".

Avila was among the organizers of a flotilla that tried to bring aid to Gaza last year. That effort was also intercepted by Israeli forces.

- Activists 'beaten' -

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza and the territory has been under Israeli blockade since 2007.

Throughout the Gaza war, there have been shortages of critical supplies in the Palestinian territory, with Israel at times cutting off aid entirely.

Organizers of the latest flotilla said the Israeli interception took place more than 1,000 kilometers from Gaza.

They said their equipment was smashed and the intervention left them facing a "calculated death trap at sea".

Dozens of intercepted activists disembarked on Friday at the Greek island of Crete, according to an AFP journalist.

Organizers published photos on X showing two activists with bruises on their faces, while one participant said in footage that Israeli forces had "beaten" them "several times".

Hamas condemned the interception, urging rights groups to pursue legal action against Israeli authorities for "crimes against the Global Sumud Flotilla, ensuring they do not enjoy impunity".

The Global Sumud Flotilla's first Mediterranean voyage to Gaza in the summer and autumn of 2025 drew worldwide attention, before Israeli forces intercepted the boats off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza in early October.

Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and expelled by Israeli forces.

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Arab World

Yemeni Govt Forces Press Advance on Houthis Near Bab al-Mandeb, in Taiz

A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government fires a machine gun balanced on a motorcycle at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government fires a machine gun balanced on a motorcycle at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP)
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Yemeni Govt Forces Press Advance on Houthis Near Bab al-Mandeb, in Taiz

A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government fires a machine gun balanced on a motorcycle at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government fires a machine gun balanced on a motorcycle at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP)

Fighting spread across Yemen on Tuesday as government forces renewed their push against remaining Houthi pockets near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while battles raged around Taiz amid heavy airstrikes on Houthi positions, reinforcements and supply lines.

Government forces reported gains in several strategic positions.

Fierce clashes erupted near Bab al-Mandeb between the Houthis and government forces backed by the Giants Brigades, Nation's Shield Forces and Tihama Brigades, as troops battled to seize hills overlooking the vital waterway.

The fighting coincided with airstrikes on Houthi positions around the port city of Mokha and along Yemen's western coast.

Government military sources said troops captured strategic hilltops after attacking Houthi positions, killing and wounding fighters and forcing others to flee by boat.

Preliminary reports pointed to strikes on boats and maritime supplies believed to be used by the Houthis to ferry reinforcements and equipment to positions near the strait.

Sources in the Nation's Shield Forces dismissed reports that the Houthis had seized the Kahboub mountains, saying their troops remained deployed at Dhubab Airport and across the surrounding mountain range.

A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government operates a turret from the back of a pickup truck at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP)

Government forces push forward in Taiz

Battles continued across Taiz city and its surrounding countryside, with airstrikes pounding Houthi positions, troop concentrations and reinforcements as government forces and local resistance fighters sought to strengthen their positions and thwart Houthi advances.

Government military sources said troops seized Mount al-Midan after fierce fighting backed by airstrikes. Field sources said government troops and local fighters also established fire control over in areas along the Al-Dhabab road.

Troops had begun clearing, securing and consolidating their newly captured positions, said Yemeni army Colonel Abdulbasit al-Bahr.

But government forces met stiff resistance near the Old Airport military camp and the Madrat area, where heavy fire and heavy weapons thwarted their attempts to advance, he revealed.

He reported Houthi fighters killed, wounded and captured, along with military vehicles destroyed or set ablaze.

Heavy clashes also broke out on the Shaqab and Al-Aqroud fronts, with both sides exchanging fire using various weapons. Government sources said troops repelled a Houthi attack in Al-Aqroud.

Authorities in Taiz said Houthi sniper fire killed five civilians and wounded five others, including children, in the villages of Hamma, Al-Damna and nearby communities. Shelling also struck residential neighborhoods on the city's outskirts. Local sources reported airstrikes near Taiz Airport and across several areas of the province.

A fighter loyal to Yemen's legitimate government fires a turret from the back of a pickup truck at a position along the frontlines against the Houthis around Mount al-Midan in Yemen's western Taiz province on October 26, 2026. (AFP)

1,276 strikes

Yemen's armed forces said they carried out 1,276 strikes in 24 hours under Operation Dawn of Yemen, targeting Houthi military capabilities across multiple fronts in an indication of the widening campaign.

Military spokesman Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili said the strikes targeted command-and-control centers, defensive positions, firing positions, reinforcements, transport and supply vehicles, and weapons and ammunition depots.

Strikes also hit targets deeper inside Houthi-held territory in an effort to disrupt the group's ability to direct operations and regroup its forces, he said.

The military said the operations had neutralized about 382 Houthi commanders and fighters, destroyed or disabled 140 military vehicles and heavy weapons, and destroyed weapons and ammunition depots.

Nuzaili said simultaneous operations were continuing across Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda and the southern and southwestern fronts, targeting Houthi movements, defenses and supply lines.

The aim, he said, was to restrict the Houthis' ability to move reserves and concentrate forces on a single front.

As fighting intensified, government officials and rights groups raised alarms over the impact of shelling and the siege on civilians in Taiz.

Yemen's Human Rights Ministry condemned attacks on densely populated neighborhoods with mortar shells, Katyusha rockets and ballistic missiles.

It urged the international community to act to halt the attacks, lift the siege and hold those responsible for targeting civilians and civilian property accountable.

On the diplomatic front, Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani discussed the military escalation and its humanitarian fallout with European Union Ambassador to Yemen Patrick Simonnet, including the continuing siege of Taiz and attacks on civilian facilities.

Zindani urged international pressure to end the Houthi siege and reopen roads for civilians and humanitarian aid.

He also pointed to the European Commission's allocation of an additional 22.5 million euros in humanitarian assistance for Yemen.

Arab World

Syria Mourns Daraa Victims, Moves to Form Emergency Joint Committee with Jordan

Mourners pray over the bodies of those who were killed in airstrikes carried out by Jordan the night before on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, during their funeral on October 27, 2026. (AFP)
Mourners pray over the bodies of those who were killed in airstrikes carried out by Jordan the night before on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, during their funeral on October 27, 2026. (AFP)
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Syria Mourns Daraa Victims, Moves to Form Emergency Joint Committee with Jordan

Mourners pray over the bodies of those who were killed in airstrikes carried out by Jordan the night before on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, during their funeral on October 27, 2026. (AFP)
Mourners pray over the bodies of those who were killed in airstrikes carried out by Jordan the night before on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, during their funeral on October 27, 2026. (AFP)

Residents of Syria's southern Daraa province mourned seven civilians killed in Jordanian airstrikes on Tuesday, as public anger mounted over the deaths of children and elderly people and calls grew for an investigation.

Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the military action as "completely unacceptable," accusing what it called "suspicious parties" of seeking to undermine the close ties between the two countries.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said Syria and Jordan were coordinating to urgently establish a joint field and security committee to address on-the-ground violations and prevent their recurrence.

Mourners in Daraa demanded an investigation into the strikes, which hit several locations across the province, and called on Jordan to explain the intelligence behind its choice of targets.

Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya television quoted mourners as insisting the targeted sites were civilian and that no terrorist organizations operated in their province.

Military expert Imad Shahoud called the proposed joint committee "a belated measure that should have been taken before the operation."

A man inspects the damage in the aftermath of airstrikes carried out by Jordan on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, on October 27, 2026. (AFP)

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Shahoud said an error had caused civilian deaths and that the victims' families were entitled to compensation.

He placed primary responsibility on Jordanian intelligence, saying it should have verified its information and target coordinates in coordination with Syrian authorities.

Shahoud also pointed to what he described as a professional failure to conduct surveillance of the targets for at least 24 hours.

Questioning the use of F-16 fighter jets against a "terrorist cell," he said such operations should aim to capture suspects alive whenever possible.

Jordanian warplanes struck several locations in Daraa overnight Monday into Tuesday.

Daraa's Health Directorate put the casualty toll between dead and wounded at 10.

Syria's People's Assembly joined calls for a joint investigation, condemning the "crime that killed civilians, including women and children."

The assembly also underscored the deep ties between the Syrian and Jordanian peoples.

Despite the condemnation, official statements from Damascus and Amman signaled a shared desire to protect bilateral relations.

Syrian politician and People's Assembly member Moayad Ghazlan said relations between the two countries were "greater than any mistakes," while cautioning against blaming a third party without evidence.

"We are counting on bilateral relations being stronger than any mistakes, but we cannot accept a failure to investigate what happened, take responsibility for this grave incident or compensate families for the devastating loss of our martyrs' lives," Ghazlan told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Mourners join the funeral procession for five family members, including three children, killed in a Jordanian airstrike in southern Syria's Daraa province, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (AP)

He said security cooperation and broader ties between Syria and Jordan were improving, but suggested their joint fight against terrorism and firm opposition to Israeli violations had angered parties seeking to undermine the relationship.

Asked whether the strikes could damage bilateral ties, Ghazlan was emphatic. "Our relationship with Jordan must not be affected. It is strong and deeply rooted," he said, adding that such ties required full respect for sovereignty and coordination with Syrian authorities under agreed counterterrorism protocols.

Syrian analysts broadly agreed that a security failure had led to the civilian deaths, though questions remained over how the operation unfolded.

Political and media analyst Ali Eid pointed to a wider security gap in southern Syria, blaming Israeli actions for preventing Damascus from deploying sufficient security forces and carrying out adequate sweeps to secure the region.

Eid, himself from Daraa, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel was a major underlying cause of the disorder that had created conditions for such interventions, even if its role was not immediately visible.

He said the lack of coordination over the strikes exposed differences between Damascus and Amman on security matters, with the civilian deaths laying bare the consequences.

Eid said the Syrian Foreign Ministry had sought to balance its response by preserving relations with Jordan while asserting Syrian sovereignty and insisting on prior coordination for any future operations.

"Syrian territory is the responsibility of the Syrian state, not the Jordanian side," he said.

With no tangible evidence that terrorists were among those killed, Eid said the strikes had fueled widespread public anger and intensified pressure on Syria's government and president.

That pressure would likely force a different approach to security coordination, he said, though any such effort would probably "run into Israeli obstacles."

Arab World

Houthi Attacks Displace 270,000 Yemenis in Two Months

A displaced Yemeni child sits outside a tent at the Al-Fardous displacement camp in Ras Imran, on the outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
A displaced Yemeni child sits outside a tent at the Al-Fardous displacement camp in Ras Imran, on the outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
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Houthi Attacks Displace 270,000 Yemenis in Two Months

A displaced Yemeni child sits outside a tent at the Al-Fardous displacement camp in Ras Imran, on the outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)
A displaced Yemeni child sits outside a tent at the Al-Fardous displacement camp in Ras Imran, on the outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

Caught between displacement camps that lack even the most basic necessities and perilous sea crossings, hundreds of thousands of Yemenis are facing yet another journey of displacement as the Houthis' military escalation has expanded since September of last year.

The crisis has extended far beyond the front lines, placing increasing pressure on governorates hosting displaced populations and spilling across Yemen's borders, all amid dwindling humanitarian funding and a declining capacity to meet growing needs.

Yemenis displaced by fighting in Taiz gather to receive food aid in the Salah al-Din area on the outskirts of Aden, Yemen, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik)

As of October 23, more than 268,000 people had been displaced, almost all of them since the beginning of September, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) said. Displaced families are now sheltering in 62 districts across ten governorates.

As of October 17, 3,836 Yemenis have arrived in Djibouti, half of them children, including 282 under the age of five.

These figures reflect the growing scale of displacement from conflict zones, particularly in western Taiz, Lahj, and southern Hodeidah, where families have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety. At the same time, host areas are increasingly struggling to absorb the rising numbers of displaced people and provide for their basic needs.

The wave of displacement due to Houthi attacks has expanded, exacerbating the humanitarian situation (Local media)

In Aden, the number of displaced people has more than doubled since October 7 to more than 42,000, while Lahj now hosts around 67,000.

The flight from violence has not been limited to land routes. Yemeni families have also taken to the sea in an attempt to escape areas of escalating conflict. Some boats reached shore before arriving at their intended destinations after running out of fuel, highlighting the dangers civilians face as they seek safer refuge.

As the number of arrivals continues to grow, families who fled their homes in haste are struggling to secure shelter, safe drinking water, healthcare, and other essential services.

At the same time, pressure is mounting on host communities that already suffer from limited resources, while humanitarian needs are increasing at a pace that far exceeds the capacity of available response efforts.

The suffering of the displaced does not end once they leave conflict zones. Many families are forced to take shelter in overcrowded public buildings, while others sleep in the open due to a lack of adequate accommodation.

Continuous flow of displaced persons from the outskirts of Lahij governorate (Local media)

The shortage of sanitation facilities and basic services further compounds their hardship. These conditions heighten the risks faced by children, women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

"The scale and speed of this displacement is leaving families in desperate need of help, and our response is struggling to keep pace," said IOM Yemen Chief of Mission Abdusattor Esoev. "Our teams are reaching people every day, but funding is falling far short. Without urgent support, more families will go without assistance that could save their lives."

With 44,736 families displaced, many are struggling to access clean water, health care and basic services amid severe fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices for basic food items and medicine.

Humanitarian access constraints in Taiz continue to slow aid delivery and the IOM faces a critical funding gap of $30 million over the next six months to provide shelter, emergency cash, protection, health care, clean water and sanitation, and to track displacement.

Displacement camps in Yemen lack the most basic necessities (Local media)

"Many families have had to flee more than once, each time facing the struggle to find somewhere safe to stay and access the support they need," said Esoev. "Support must reach both displaced families and the communities hosting them now, before more lives are put at risk."

Since August 1, IOM has worked with local authorities, UN partners and local organizations to reach 11,178 conflict-affected households with emergency shelter, household items, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies and multi-purpose cash assistance.

IOM has also provided protection services to 6,757 migrants and displaced people and carried out 56,863 primary health care consultations.

The organization urged donors “to urgently scale up support to keep pace with rapidly growing needs, and on all parties to protect civilians and humanitarian workers and to ensure safe, unimpeded access to people in need.”