Israel to release two detained Gaza flotilla activists
Lawyer representing Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila tells Al Jazeera they will be ‘released to their home countries’. Published On 9 May 20269 May 2026 Israel is set to release two Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla activists who were abducted by Israeli authorities, a rights group has said. Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish-Palestinian, and Brazilian Thiago Avila will be freed on Saturday, according to a statement from the rights group Adalah, which was representing the two men. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The pair will be handed over to immigration authorities and held in custody pending their deportation. Hadeel Abu Salih, the lawyer who co-represented the pair in Israeli courts, told Al Jazeera that they are “expected to be released to their home countries in the coming days”. Adalah said it is “closely monitoring” the situation to ensure the release goes ahead. Abu Keshek and Avila were among dozens of activists who set sail for Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off the coast of Greece. While the other 168 members of the flotilla were taken to Crete and then released, the two were taken to Israel and detained for further questioning. The vessel was part of a humanitarian effort seeking to reach Gaza with aid amid the ongoing war and Israel’s blockade. Abu Salih said their abduction was a “clear violation of international law”. The lawyer said throughout this ordeal, the legal team “argued that this entire process was a sham proceeding with no legal basis, intended to punish them for attempting to challenge Israel’s illegal blockade”. During their detention, Abu Kushek and Avila were “held in total isolation under punitive conditions despite the purely civilian nature of their mission”, Adalah said. Advertisement It added that both activists were on a hunger strike, with Abu Keshek escalating his protest by refusing water since Tuesday. Israeli authorities have been accused of abuse, but they have denied this. On Tuesday, an Israeli court extended their imprisonment until Sunday, despite authorities not filing any charges against the pair, but they faced accusations of being affiliated with “terrorist organisations and foreign agents”, Adalah previously told Al Jazeera. Abu Salih dismissed Israel’s claims, saying that the pair were detained over “baseless accusations and subjected to ill-treatment”. “Israel’s actions in this case, the unlawful interception and abduction, arbitrary detention, and torture, constitute grave violations of international law, enabled by the impunity Israel continues to enjoy,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
One dead in US after being struck by taking off Frontier Airlines plane
Authorities say individual jumped fence at Denver International Airport in Colorado before being struck. Published On 9 May 20269 May 2026 A person has died after jumping an airport perimeter fence in the US state of Colorado and being struck by a Frontier Airlines plane, according to authorities. Denver International Airport said the unusual incident occurred late Friday, after the unidentified individual gained access to the tarmac. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list It said the “pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway”. A brief engine fire followed the collision, which was put out by emergency responders, according to the airport. It said that 12 of the 231 people on board suffered minor injuries, with five hospitalised. The airport said investigators had examined the fenceline where the individual entered and “found it to be intact”. It added that the struck individual “is not believed to be an employee of the airport”. “We are extremely saddened by this incident and express our sympathies to those involved,” the airport said. Both local authorities and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were investigating the incident. The Frontier Airlines flight had been bound for Los Angeles International Airport. Airport safety in the US came under renewed scrutiny earlier this year amid a prolonged shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which temporarily left both Transportation Security Agents (TSA) and air traffic controllers working without pay. While instances of people being killed on airport tarmacs are rare, Friday’s incident came a day after a Delta employee was killed after an airport vehicle struck an airbridge at Orlando International Airport. Advertisement In March, two pilots were killed after an Air Canada Express plane crashed into a fire-rescue vehicle at LaGuardia Airport in New York. About 225,000 people travel through Denver International Airport a day. Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinians run West Bank freedom marathon along separation wall
In the occupied West Bank, a marathon is a political statement. Palestinians ran alongside the separation wall today, a structure that cuts them off from their land, their families, and even the sea. Al Jazeera’s @leila.shw reports from Bethlehem. Published On 9 May 20269 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Abhishek Banerjee demands release of CCTV footage to ‘reveal poll truth’ after Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as CM
TMC leader and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday questioned the transparency of the West Bengal Assembly election process after the BJP’s massive victory in the state. He has demanded release of CCTV footage from counting centres.
Has Mamata Banerjee accepted defeat in Assembly elections 2026? Here’s what her X bio says
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has updated her social media bio, moments after BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the new Chief Minister of West Bengal.
Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League congratulates Suvendu Adhikari on becoming West Bengal CM
Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League congratulated Suvendu Adhikari on becoming the new Chief Minister, wishing him and his Cabinet ‘success and good health’, along with continued peace and prosperity for the people of West Bengal.
Who is Sanjeev Arora? Punjab minister arrested by ED after raids in money laundering case
Earlier in the day, the ED had carried out a search at Arora’s official residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 2 area. Around 20 ED officials had reached his residence in the early hours of Saturday for the raid. Searches in the case were also carried out at premises in Delhi and Gurugram.
After years of delay, 1984 Sikh riots victim secures govt job through court order
A victim of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots has finally secured a government job after years of delay, following intervention by the Delhi High Court.
Vijay’s path to become Tamil Nadu CM clear as VCK, IUML extend support to TVK
Vijay’s party has received the crucial support from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), both of which have two MLA-elects. With this, the TVK-led coalition has reached 120 seats, two more than the majority mark of 118.
Petrol, diesel prices to rise soon? Akhilesh Yadav warns of possible fuel price hike, targets BJP over ‘capitalist policies’
Akhilesh Yadav has claimed that petrol and diesel prices may increase again in the coming days, citing oil companies are incurring huge losses every month due to Middle East crisis.