They are all back Swiss Gaza activists receive invoice from the federal government

The last Swiss members of the Gaza aid flotilla are now back - and are reporting on their experiences. The nine men and women can expect a hefty bill from the federal government.

Keystone-SDA

08.10.2025, 19:27

SDA

The last Swiss members of the Gaza flotilla have returned home. Nine people landed in Geneva on Wednesday, after another activist, a Swiss-Turkish dual citizen, had already arrived in Turkey on Tuesday.

Around 300 demonstrators welcomed the nine Swiss activists at Geneva Airport. They carried placards and chanted slogans in honor of the flotilla. There were also calls for Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to resign.

After the reception, the members took part in a meeting with the Waves of Freedom organization. The organization represented the Swiss delegation of the "Global Sumud Flotilla". The organization had organized psychological support for the returnees, said a spokeswoman. "We have noticed that some people are having difficulty sleeping in particular," she said.

"Treated like animals"

Among the returnees was the former mayor of Geneva, Rémy Pagani. On his arrival, he thanked everyone for their welcome: "Without you, we would still be there." The members of the fleet had been treated like animals and humiliated, said Pagani. "There were 14 of us, crammed into 23 square meters." He went on to talk about the case of a person suffering from diabetes who was allegedly denied medication by the Israeli army.

In his speech, Pagani also thanked the Jordanian people. The activists made a stopover in Amman on Tuesday. "The Jordanians were very generous and, unlike the FDFA, paid for a meal and clothes for us," he said.

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Costs still unclear

The costs for the repatriation by the federal government will be charged to those affected. This applies to consular services as well as other costs such as flight tickets, transportation and hotel accommodation, said a spokesperson for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. He was not yet able to quantify the amount of these costs on Wednesday.

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A total of 19 Swiss nationals were among the more than 450 activists on the Gaza aid flotilla. Israeli forces intercepted the boats last week and took the occupants into custody.

The first Swiss activist returned to Zurich on Saturday, before eight more people arrived in Geneva on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Israeli authorities deported the remaining activists from a prison in the Negev desert to Jordan. The Swiss embassy in Amman received them at the border and organized their onward journey.