The Knesset passed legislation Monday allowing Israel to deport Gaza flotilla activists within 24 hours of detention, cutting through bureaucratic delays that previously gave protesters days to challenge their removal.
The bill, approved in second and third readings by the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee, targets what Israeli officials describe as anti-Semitic, pro-Palestinian activists who have repeatedly entered Israeli territory while attempting to reach Gaza by sea.
Under existing entry law, people slated for deportation received written removal orders but couldn’t be expelled until three days after receiving the notice—a window that allowed them to appeal to courts and exhaust legal remedies.
The new law shrinks that waiting period to just 24 hours. It takes effect as a temporary measure valid for one year, with the option to extend it twice for additional one-year periods. The sunset provision is designed to let lawmakers assess whether the flotilla phenomenon persists and evaluate the law’s impact.
Israeli naval forces have intercepted multiple flotilla attempts, including one where troops boarded a vessel. Activist Greta Thunberg was photographed smiling after IDF forces took control of one such ship.