Spain says 21 citizens held on Gaza flotilla to leave Israel

"We have reached an agreement with Israel that ... a first group of 21 Spanish citizens will leave Tel Aviv today and arrive in Spain," Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Spanish public TV.

"We have the agreement of the authorities of Israel. Let’s hope nothing goes wrong at the last moment," he added.

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The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail last month, ferrying politicians and activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg towards Gaza, where the United Nations says famine is taking hold.

The Israeli navy began intercepting the boats on Wednesday, and an Israeli official said the following day that boats with more than 400 people on board had been prevented from reaching the Palestinian territory.