Marrakech – After days of uncertainty about their fate and hours after contradicting reports of whether they were released or not, a diplomatic source familiar with the dossier confirmed to Morocco World News (MWN) that Morocco’s liaison office in Tel Aviv has successfully negotiated the release of two Moroccan citizens detained by Israeli authorities.
Aziz Ghali and Abdeladim Ben Draoui, who were arrested after participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission to Gaza, are expected to be deported to Turkiye tomorrow following the completion of administrative procedures between Moroccan and Israeli officials.
Israel stormed and seized the vessels while they were traveling through international waters en route to Gaza, carrying critical humanitarian aid for Palestinians in need under Israel’s blockade.
“Morocco’s interventions in citizens’ affairs, whether domestically or abroad, are never conducted under pressure or blackmail,” the source stated. “They are implemented with full respect for national sovereignty and international law.”
The protection Morocco provides to citizens abroad is guaranteed, but “requires respect for host countries’ laws and positive cooperation with Moroccan diplomatic and consular representations.”
These interventions, the source noted, “are only initiated at the request of those concerned or their families, within a framework of responsibility and impartiality, far from any politicization or exploitation by groups attempting to use individual cases for special or propaganda purposes.”
Since the moment of the arrest, Moroccan authorities, through the liaison office in Tel Aviv, initiated intensive efforts to verify the detention conditions of the Moroccan citizens and ensure respect for their legal and humanitarian rights.
Sources confirmed that both detainees were not involved in any military or intelligence activities inside Gaza, but were part of the civilian mission aimed at humanitarian solidarity.
Lawyers from Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, visited both Moroccan detainees yesterday morning and confirmed they remain on hunger strike as an act of solidarity with Gazans.
According to the legal team, “there is no exceptional procedure for them, as the decision issued against them is deportation, like other activists,” while noting they continue to refuse food. The lawyers also reported that despite their ongoing protest, the detainees are currently in good health.
The National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) praised “the efforts of Moroccan diplomacy to secure the release of the Moroccan citizens who participated in the humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza and ensure their safe return to Morocco.”
In an official statement, the CNDH noted that it had previously called, along with defenders in the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, for “the release of all detainees and ensuring their safety and secure return to their countries,” while condemning the attack on the flotilla.
The statement confirmed that CNDH President Amina Bouayach closely followed the situation alongside an international organization and national and foreign stakeholders to monitor developments and pressure for the Moroccans’ release.
Moroccan diplomacy prioritizes action over public theatrics
According to converging reports, Ghali had refused to meet with diplomats from the Moroccan liaison office in Tel Aviv, insisting instead on representatives from the Moroccan embassy in Ramallah to handle his deportation case.
Reports indicated he maintained his political principles against normalization by refusing to sign official documents and remaining silent during interrogations.
Israeli sources revealed that security authorities had questioned Ghali about his previous relationship with an Israeli citizen who had participated in anti-normalization demonstrations in Morocco. This person is currently accused in Israel of alleged connections to Iranian-funded networks working to infiltrate protest movements in Arab countries.
Although the investigation did not result in any direct charges against Ghali, Israel initially expressed security reservations before the crisis was resolved through the direct intervention of the Moroccan liaison office, which provided all necessary legal and diplomatic guarantees for the detainees’ return.
This diplomatic resolution reflects a qualitative shift in Moroccan diplomatic performance, demonstrating the country’s capacity to protect its citizens in conflict zones regardless of the sensitivity of related political issues.
Morocco chose a quiet diplomatic approach rather than media confrontation, preferring to work silently to protect its citizens while sending a clear message that relations between Rabat and Tel Aviv do not mean surrendering national sovereignty or remaining silent about the rights of Moroccan citizens wherever they may be.
