Gaza Flotilla Activists Deported to Spain Clash With Police in Bilbao; Israeli Foreign Ministry Says It "Demands Answers"

A violent confrontation broke out last night (*Shabbat*) at the airport in Bilbao, in Spain’s Basque region, as participants in the flotilla returned to Spain. According to a statement from flotilla headquarters, at least four people were arrested during the incident and taken to the local police station.

In footage circulated on social media, Basque police officers can be seen using force against flotilla activists, including batons. According to the organization’s account, the incident began in the arrivals area, when a family member waiting for the returnees’ landing tried to cross a barrier in order to hug one of the flotilla participants. The organization claims the police response was immediate and included the use of force, quickly leading to an escalation and a broader confrontation at the scene.

Flotilla headquarters said that some of those involved in the incident had returned to Spain while still dealing with earlier injuries. According to their statement, some of the activists had even been released from hospitals only a short time before boarding their return flight. It was also claimed that during the confrontation, some participants tried to physically protect one another from the blows they were receiving.

Following the incident, flotilla organizers called for an independent international investigation into the circumstances of the confrontation. They argued that this was an incident of "unjustified violence" against activists returning to the country.

The events in Bilbao also drew a response from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which chose to post a jab on X. In its statement, it wrote: "We demand an explanation from the Spanish government regarding the treatment of the flotilla’s anarchists."

Later, Israel’s Foreign Ministry published another post featuring two photos of one of the flotilla participants. In one, she is seen lying down with a neck brace; in the second, she is documented at the airport standing and holding flowers. Alongside the images, it wrote: "It’s a miracle! Thank God, the flotilla anarchist made a full recovery in a very short time."