Activist Greg Stoker says he's been released from an Israeli prison and is on his way back to Austin.
Stoker was one of nearly 450 activists arrested by Israeli forces last week for attempting to sail to Gaza and deliver supplies.
The native Austinite and former Army Ranger was one of five veterans of the U.S. armed forces who were part of a civilian-led fleet that sailed for weeks to bring supplies and break the Israeli naval blockade. Last Wednesday, Israeli military forces began detaining and arresting activists.
A message on Stoker's Instagram Monday said he'd been released and urged his followers to reach out to their members of Congress to make sure other U.S.-based activists are safe. Stoker also thanked U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who represents him in Congress.
Doggett told KUT News his office has been in contact with Stoker's family and that he's on his way home to Austin by way of Bratislava. The congressman said the flotilla "never would have been necessary" if the Trump administration had taken a harder diplomatic line against Israel's war in Gaza, which was provoked by the Hamas attack that took place two years ago tomorrow.
Doggett said he "admires the courage" of the activists to risk their safety to deliver aid to Gazans.
"They drew attention to this war by starvation that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has waged," he said. "October 7 is an extraordinary day for him to be coming home. It's the date of the original massacre by Hamas, which I deplored and opposed. But killing thousands, tens of thousands of people, is not the way to respond."
Doggett expects Stoker will be back in Austin tomorrow at around 8 p.m.
Stoker was one of roughly 170 activists held in an Israeli prison. Detainees included climate activist Greta Thunberg, who alleged mistreatment at the K'ziot prison.
Israel's foreign ministry has said the Global Sumud Flotilla, which has now organized three flotillas to bring aid to Gaza, has ties to Hamas. The group denies that allegation.
Israel's offensive on Gaza has faced international condemnation in recent weeks as the U.S. has worked to broker a ceasefire. The Palestinan health ministry estimates as many as 66,000 Gazans have died in the past two years, a third of them children.
