Israel’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has confirmed that a Nigerian national who participated in a recent Gaza-bound flotilla will be deported, describing the voyage as a “public relations stunt” rather than a genuine humanitarian mission.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Freeman said the flotilla’s organisers were not focused on providing relief to Palestinians but on tarnishing Israel’s image.
“Regarding the Nigerian, the Nigerian will be deported soon,” he stated. “He was part of this flotilla that was a publicity stunt. These people pretended to be bringing aid when the Pope himself intervened and said, ‘Please pass the aid to Israel, and Israel will guarantee it goes into Gaza.’ They refused.”
Freeman maintained that Israel remains open to facilitating the safe transfer of humanitarian supplies through official and verified channels.
“They’re not interested in transferring any aid,” he said. “When the flotilla was intercepted and we boarded the boats, there was virtually no aid on board whatsoever. This was all about selfies, a PR stunt, and trying to demonise Israel — nothing to do with helping the Palestinians.”
The ambassador added that hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian supplies currently enter Gaza daily through authorised routes to ensure assistance reaches civilians in need.
“Today, hundreds of trucks of aid are making their way into Gaza to reach the Palestinian people — not some PR stunt by people who’ve got nothing better to do,” he said.
The flotilla incident, which has drawn international attention, is the latest in a series of activist-led maritime attempts to breach the Gaza blockade. Israeli authorities insist such missions undermine legitimate humanitarian efforts and risk escalating tensions, even as they reaffirm continued cooperation with global partners to ensure aid delivery to Gaza.
