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Lisbon Scrambles as Israel Moves Four Portuguese Activists Inland

Politics,  National News
By The Portugal Post, The Portugal Post
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Portuguese officials spent the weekend juggling phone lines between Lisbon, Tel Aviv and the Negev after Israel confirmed that the four nationals seized aboard the Global Sumud aid convoy are no longer at sea but in land-based detention. The relocation ends days of speculation about their whereabouts, yet it opens a new set of questions: how long can they be held, under what conditions, and what leverage does Portugal really have?

A Port in Israel, a Diplomatic Sprint in Lisbon

The first public clue emerged when Prime Minister Luís Montenegro admitted on Thursday that the activists were "in a port under Israeli control". Government sources later identified that port as Ashdod, the standard entry point for ships Israel intercepts on their way to Gaza. Within hours the four were transferred by road to the remote Saharonim/Ketziot detention complex, deep in the Negev desert. In Lisbon, the Foreign Ministry activated its Emergency Consular Unit, while the Portuguese embassy in Tel Aviv requested immediate access. By Friday evening Ambassador Helena Paiva had spoken to the detainees and filed a protest over "insufficient water, food and medical supplies" during the first 48 hours of custody.

Who Are the Portuguese on Board?

Among the 200-odd passengers intercepted on 30 September were four familiar names at home: MP Mariana Mortágua, model-turned-activist Sofia Aparício, climate campaigner Miguel Duarte, and humanitarian volunteer Diogo Chaves. All had joined the Global Sumud flotilla, a coalition of European, North-African and Latin-American NGOs that set sail from the Greek port of Kalamata aiming to break the 18-year Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. Friends of the group told RTP they carried "medical kits, desalination filters and children’s books" rather than weapons. Family members in Portugal have retained counsel and are coordinating through the MNE’s crisis desk.

Inside Saharonim: What We Know of the Detention Conditions

Accounts collected by lawyers and the Israeli NGO Adalah depict a mixed picture. Officials insist the prisoners are "safe and in good health"; detainees report "long hours in handcuffs, fluorescent lights left on at night and limited phone access". The Negev facility is better known for housing undocumented African migrants than European activists. International observers note that civilians captured in international waters should be released or deported swiftly, not remanded for weeks in a desert prison. Portuguese consular staff who visited on 3 October confirmed no serious injuries but said two of the four "showed clear signs of exhaustion" and had gone 36 hours without prescribed medication.

Pressure Mounts: Legal and Diplomatic Fronts

Lisbon’s strategy now moves on three parallel tracks. First, consular protection: daily welfare checks and guaranteed contact with family. Second, diplomatic protest: the Foreign Ministry has delivered a note verbale demanding clarification on legal grounds for the arrest. Third, repatriation logistics: Israel offered immediate deportation if the activists sign a waiver agreeing not to sue; sources close to the negotiation say "that paperwork is on the table, but no signatures yet". President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called the situation "a test of Portugal’s capacity to defend its citizens abroad" while avoiding a wider rift with Israel.

Historical Echoes and International Law

The Global Sumud seizure revives memories of the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, when ten activists were killed in a similar operation. Maritime lawyers contacted by Público argue that the latest interception "occurred at least 70 nautical miles off Gaza, clearly in international waters". Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, civilian vessels enjoy freedom of navigation on the high seas unless a ship is engaged in piracy or slave-trading. Rights groups from Front Line Defenders to the International Union of Jurists say Israel’s blockade amounts to "collective punishment"—a stance strengthened by last year’s International Court of Justice advisory opinion declaring the occupation illegal.

What Happens Next for the Four Activists

Officials familiar with the talks believe the detainees could be on a flight home "within days rather than weeks" if the deportation option is accepted. Should they refuse, Israel may pursue criminal charges under national security statutes that carry penalties of up to two years. In that scenario Portugal would have to mount a sustained legal defence while also pressing for humane detention standards—a far costlier and longer campaign. For now, Lisbon’s priority is simple: obtain written guarantees of health care, due process and a clear timetable for release. Until then, the four remain in the Negev, and Portugal’s diplomatic phone lines stay permanently lit.