Israel’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has confirmed that a Nigerian national who participated in a recent Gaza-bound flotilla will soon be deported, describing the voyage as a public relations stunt disguised as a humanitarian mission.

The Nigerian, Okey Vitalis Nnorom, was arrested and detained with other activists in the flotilla. He was later reported to have been released and deported to Turkey with some of his fellow activists.

Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Freeman criticised the flotilla’s organisers, saying their actions were not aimed at providing genuine relief to Palestinians but rather at demonising Israel.

“Regarding the Nigerian, the Nigerian will be deported soon,” Freeman said. “He was part of this flotilla that was a publicity stunt that was not in any way a useful flotilla. These people were pretending they were 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.”

The ambassador emphasised that Israel remains open to the safe transfer of humanitarian supplies through official and verified channels, rejecting claims that the flotilla sought to deliver meaningful assistance.

“They’re not interested in transferring any aid,” Freeman continued. “When the flotilla was intercepted and we went on the boats, there was virtually no aid on board whatsoever. This was all about a PR stunt. This was all about selfies. This was all about trying to demonise Israel and nothing to do with helping the Palestinians.”

He further noted that hundreds of aid trucks are currently entering Gaza daily, facilitated through authorised routes to ensure the supplies reach civilians in need, rather than being used for political theatre.

He stated, “today, hundreds of trucks of aid are making their way into Gaza in order to reach the Palestinian people and not some PR stunt by a group of people who’ve got nothing better to do.”

The flotilla incident, which has drawn widespread attention, is the latest in a series of activist-led maritime attempts to breach the Gaza blockade under the guise of humanitarian missions.

Israeli authorities maintain that such actions undermine legitimate relief efforts and risk escalating tensions, while reaffirming that humanitarian aid continues to flow into Gaza through coordinated international partnerships. (Adapted from a report by AriseNews TV)